Wisconsin Law Journal – WI Legal News & Resources Wisconsin Legal News & Resources

In past columns, I’ve talked about the “10 Rules” for witnesses as a way to help bridge the wide gap between normal conversation and communicating in a witness environment. The first is easy and natural; the second is difficult and unnatural — and treacherous. The language, rhythm and goals of each are very different.

Tagged with: witness witnesses

Police in western Wisconsin didn't have to work too hard to make an arrest in the burglary of a sporting goods store: http://bit.ly/1wLG6Lj

When I was an undergraduate, I had the good fortune to hear Kurt Vonnegut speak on my college campus. I don’t remember the substance of his speech, but I do remember that I thought it was rambling and disjointed, until the end when the whole thing brilliantly came together and 10 different themes converged.

Always improving. That seems to be the motto of the Wisconsin State Law Library.

Tagged with: Bev Butula Wisconsin State Law Library

A criminal in Georgia is headed back to jail after accidentally texting his probation officer asking if he had any marijuana: http://bit.ly/1rnJxAV

A UK man pretended to be a comatose quadriplegic for two years to avoid being prosecuted for a crime: http://elitedai.ly/1ykpMyZ

I travel — a lot. So I figured I’d pass along some of my favorite technology tools and apps for those of you who also spend a lot of time on the road.

Tagged with: Android apps iPad

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Monday suspended one of its members over his participation in a state government pornographic email scandal that involved employees of the attorney general's office: http://goo.gl/e8r1kl

MOUNT PLEASANT, Wis. (AP) — Authorities have charged a Wisconsin man who they say groped patrons inside a Mount Pleasant haunted house: http://goo.gl/z0ipxR

One is a building with bars. The other is a building with a bar. A very drunk woman apparently had trouble telling them apart and ended up in a southwestern Michigan jail cell.

The press release remains one of the most effective means for lawyers and law firm marketers to convey information to the media — and even to commit news.

According to a survey by the National Association for Law Placement, recent law school grads who get the coveted big law jobs aren't making as much as they did a few years ago.

Tagged with: blog Court Gestures Eric Heisig

Konrad Peters, of Milwaukee, has been arrested for repeatedly wielding "giant" sex toys in front of minors: http://bit.ly/1od56Z7

When an opposing party is pro se, I gird myself for his briefs. They’re typically long, disorganized, wandering and overwrought.

Tagged with: Briefs for the Brief Writer Diane Slomowitz Fox O’Neill & Shannon Pro se

In another interesting decision, 7th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Richard Posner has allowed Native Americans to hunt deer at night, debunking concerns about safety.

Tagged with: 7th Circuit Barbara Crabb Bench Blog Jean DiMotto Richard Posner

Waupaca County sheriff's investigators are recommending child abandonment charges and numerous other counts against a man and woman accused of leaving a toddler in the vehicle while they burglarized a business.

On Oct. 6, Wisconsin became the latest in a growing number of states to allow same-sex couples to marry.

Tagged with: gay marriage Halling & Cayo

Graduating from law school with significant student debt is nothing new for young attorneys. But according to the National Association of Law Placement, starting salaries in the legal profession have fallen 13 percent over the past six years.

Tagged with: Student loans

Don Henley has filed a lawsuit against the clothing maker Duluth Trading Co., claiming that the company infringed on his trademark in an email ad for its Henley T-shirt, by including the pun, "Don a Henley and Take It Easy:" http://rol.st/1p5zGih

The Congress.gov website now includes live streams of House committee hearings and meetings, along with an archive to January 2012.

Tagged with: Bev Butula

In the first Wisconsin case applying the Daubert standard on admissibility of expert witness testimony, the court of appeals explains “what the Daubert rule is and what it is not.”

Tagged with: Bench Blog Daubert Jean DiMotto Milwaukee County Circuit Court

A scene that regularly plays out in my kitchen recently took center stage in a Dane County courtroom.

Tagged with: Axley Brynelson John Markson Pro se Quincy Neri Rodney Rigsby Timothy Barber

A man and a woman have been sentenced to jail terms for having sex in a squad car after they were pulled over for drunken driving in northeastern Wisconsin: http://gbpg.net/1pIlOdV/

Prosecutors in Montana say a man caught leaving a house he had apparently burglarized apologized to the homeowner and offered him some heroin: http://goo.gl/kCH8KR

A few years ago, I was living every reporter’s nightmare. Every call I made went to people’s voicemails.

Tagged with: Foley & Lardner Haley Palmersheim Jane Pribek Kevin Palmersheim Legal Cents Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek

Justice Antonin Scalia has been the target of considerable invective, largely because of his support for the death penalty.

Tagged with: Anthony Cotton Antonin Scalia Florida v. Jardines Fourth Amendment Kuchler & Cotton SCOTUS U.S. Supreme Court

A judge is less-than-impressed with Real Housewives of New York City star Bethenny Frankel's Instagram presence and ability to fit into her 4-year-old daughter's pajamas.

A New York supermarket employee has been accused of leaving the store with $1,200 worth of meat hidden in his pants.

Attorneys strategize for a living. Looking for opportunities and watching out for downfalls is their trade. Too often, however, those skill sets aren’t used when it comes to planning for their own retirement.

Tagged with: retirement

It looks like Ryan Braun's former friend isn't giving up in his litigious quest against his former Milwaukee Brewers friend and the attorneys who represented him. To me, though, it's just another quirky part of a rare example of jail being imposed in a contempt proceeding.

Tagged with: blog Court Gestures Eric Heisig Ralph Sasson