Rules of the road for selling or buying a law practice
Selling a law practice, or an area of the practice, to another qualified lawyer no longer violates the code of professional ethics in most states. Some lawyers still believe they have little or nothing of value to sell, irrespective of the size or profitability of their practice. However, it is my experience that most lawyers […]
Office betting pools: Dive in at your own risk
Let’s lay it on the table from the start — office betting pools are illegal in Wisconsin. Regardless of the amount of money involved. Regardless of how many other people participate in betting pools. Office betting pools and other forms of private gambling can lead to fines or even jail time. Every year around this […]
Money or justice — must we choose?
I firmly believe, and have often written, that a lawyer must make an adequate living at his or her practice before making a meaningful pro bono effort. Two recent articles in California’s legal press set parameters on what this means as a practical matter. The first was an article suggesting that public defenders who choose […]
Citation of unpublished opinions would lead to bluer skies
It’s time for a change in the weather — and we’re not referring to winter (although I wouldn’t mind a change on that front, too). On Jan. 25, 2008, the Wisconsin Judicial Council filed a petition with the Supreme Court to amend Wis. Stat. §(Rule) 809.23(3), which prohibits citation of unpublished opinions from the Court […]
One final look at the family law decisions of 2007
During the past year, there was only one Wisconsin Supreme Court case and only a few published Court of Appeals cases in family law. While some of the cases earned approval in this column (not that either court particularly cared), others drew flak. Not being satiated with one kick at the courts and not being […]
Lawsuit against bank raises third-party issues
A lawsuit against Wachovia Bank by a group of defrauded consumers raises some interesting issues related to third-party fraud liability. The question for consumers, investors, and executives is: What is the threshold for liability in fraud cases? What knowledge or actions had to be present in order for a person or company to be held […]
Personal use of company e-mail: Where to draw the line
Nowadays, e-mail is a fixture in most workplaces, a useful tool for communication and calendaring. However, most of us also recognize that e-mail can be an enormous work distraction. For every business-related e-mail in our inboxes, we may have a dozen non-work-related e-mails. Whether a friend’s latest YouTube recommendations or questionable business propositions from deposed […]
Protecting the work product of an expert witness
One often overlooked key to successfully working with an expert witness is the protection of privilege and work product. Until the expert is actually disclosed to the other side, it’s in the best interest of the client to make sure that the expert’s work is protected. While no airtight accountant-client privilege exists, it is still […]
Decision appears to limit trial court’s discretion
This is the second in a series of three articles discussing the recent Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision in Wright v. Wright, No. 2006AP2111 (Wis. Ct. App. Dec. 4, 2007) (recommended for publication). As discussed in the previous article, the appellate court affirmed most of the trial court’s rulings on property division, holding that the […]
Beware the office Christmas party
To paraphrase Dr. Seuss: Every who in the office liked the Christmas party a lot, but the lawyer who advised on HR matters did not. Yes, I suspect my clients sometimes think of me as a “Grinch.” That’s okay. I understand, and I don’t take it personally. My job is to help my clients manage […]
Legal News
- Outside the RNC, small Milwaukee businesses and their regulars tried to salvage a sluggish week
- Biden called to resign immediately after the president announces he won’t seek reelection
- Biden drops out of 2024 presidential race, endorses Harris
- Local PA cops allegedly thought Trump’s would-be assassin was Secret Service
- Biden-Lead Secret Service admits agency denied past requests by Trump’s campaign for tighter security
- Class action filed against Walgreens
- Former Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant pleads guilty to smuggling contraband
- Two dead, one injured after Ozaukee County water rescue
- RNC Final Day: Trump accepts GOP Nomination
- Wisconsin officials intervene in Planned Parenthood action
- 7th Circuit adopts modifications to Rules 31, 34, 40, 47 and 60
- MPD issues statement on outside agency officer assignments
Case Digests
- Ineffective Assistance of Counsel; Double Jeopardy; Sentencing
- Ineffective Assistance of Counsel; Sexual Assault-Prosecutorial Misconduct
- Contract-Negligence
- Criminal Law; Juvenile Law; Discovery
- Family Law; Child Support; Property Division First paragraph(s)
- Ineffective Assistance of Counsel- Exclusion of Evidence of Witness Bias
- Postconviction Relief-Sentencing-Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
- 14th Amendment – Due Process
- Criminal-Sentencing Guidelines – Enhancement
- Bankruptcy-Tax
- Civil Rights – 14th Amendment-Jury Instructions
- Contract; Foreclosure and Property