Commentary: Cheap entertainment for the cost conscious
Lawyers are working harder these days. In 1965, associates typically billed 1,400 to 1,600 hours annually, while partners billed 1,200 to 1,400. Forty years later, associates’ hours were up to 2,000 annually, according to an ABA Law Practice Management Section magazine article from 2006. But everyone knows the old adage about all work and no […]
Commentary: Lawyers should whine for tax credits too
Reading the local progressive newspaper the other day, I came across a story about some farmers and municipalities who want land designated as “agricultural enterprise areas.” If that were to happen, the farmers would get annual tax credits of $5 to $10 per acre, in exchange for agreeing to keep the land in farm production […]
Commentary: The key to security as a lawyer: Networking
Throughout law school I was very focused on grades and making certain that I ranked as high as possible in my class. But while it is impossible to deny that grades and rankings are important in law school, I was surprised to find that what matters more than anything as you move into your career […]
Commentary: Grandparents’ case raises hard questions
There is an old Jewish story about two men who go to a Rabbi to decide a dispute. After the first one told his side, the Rabbi told him: “You’re right.” “Wait a minute, Rabbi,” said the other, “You haven’t heard my side.” After telling his side, the Rabbi scratched his beard and told him: […]
Commentary: Half a case may be better than none
For the legal profession, the impact of the current recession has been felt the most by the nation’s one million-plus lawyers who are sole practitioners or members of small firms. These lawyers are not at the top of the compensation scale to begin with. They generally work on what’s called “the consumer side” of law, […]
Commentary: Observations from a morning in court
Last week, I spent 3 ½ hours in a courtroom in the Milwaukee County Public Safety Building. I needn’t tell you cats how tedious – I mean thrilling – that was. But I would like to relate a couple of experiences from that morning. At one point, while I was waiting in line to get […]
Commentary: Internal marketing efforts can improve profitability
Studies conducted across the country repeatedly show the value of internal marketing to professional services firms. A national study of 200 human resources executives conducted by Wisconsin-based Business Development Directives revealed firms with strong internal marketing initiatives experience higher-than-average growth rates and profitability. The explanation is very simple — highly-trai[...]
Commentary: A close look at SaaS Highrise
A few months ago I wrote about cloud computing and the emerging field of software-as-a-service (SaaS). Highrise from 37 Signals is a SaaS offering that can help a busy law office coordinate efforts and communication for ongoing matters. It’s a multi-tenant, multi-user tool that allows you and your colleagues to share case information, assign work […]
Commentary: No ‘Big Love’ for polygamy laws
My favorite TV show, “Big Love,” is back on the air for a new season. If you’re not familiar with the show, it’s a family drama about a man in Utah, his three wives, and their assorted children. A frequently-used device to drive the plot is their ever-present fear of criminal prosecution for polygamy. My […]
Commentary: An idea for a new video game
When I was a kid, I used to go to the bowling alley to play a video game called “Wizard of War.” Like most video games of the time, the goal was to navigate mazes and fight monsters of one sort or another. Over time, video games became more realistic. Now, you can play a […]
Commentary: Can I really raise my rates?
As the holiday season began, I received an e-mail inquiry from a lawyer asking if I had a standard letter that his firm could use to inform clients that hourly rates would increase on January 1. Since most firms have faced two-plus years of pressure by clients to cut rates, it was interesting (to say […]
Commentary: I am not my brother’s dog’s keeper
Mark Twain once remarked that the major difference between a man and a dog is that, if a dog is cold and hungry, and you shelter and feed it, the dog will be grateful. The man, in contrast, will steal your best whiskey. Twain’s remark played out in a case that the Wisconsin Supreme Court […]
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