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View from around the state: An odd show in open court
Statements made in court by the prosecution at the sentencing last week of a former aide to Scott Walker certainly raised more questions than they answered.
Tagged with: Bruce Landgraf John Doe investigation Kelly Rindfleisch Scott Walker
Read More »BLAWG LOG: Important elder law number updates for 2013
The Social Security Administration recently announced that the monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits will increase by 1.7 percent in 2013.
Tagged with: Blawg Log
Read More »BEV BUTULA: For state law, it’s all in the family
Those who regularly practice family law are most likely familiar with the ABA Family Law Section’s “Family Law in Fifty States.”
Tagged with: ABA Bev Butula Family Law
Read More »LEGAL CENTS: Try virtual coupons for a thrifty means of marketing
Because I’m over the age of 40 and, like many Midwesterners, generally thrifty, coupons intrigue me.
Tagged with: Jane Pribek Legal Cents
Read More »ON THE DEFENSIVE: Defendants struggle with Morton’s Fork
Morton’s Fork describes a choice between two equally unpleasant options.
Tagged with: Anthony Cotton National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Read More »Create strong referral networks to grow your business
It’s easy to say you build your practice by word of mouth, but how do you really know whether word actually is spreading?
Editorial: Pick a side
Lawyers can learn something from a former journalist turned political adviser.
Tagged with: Barack Obama Dean Dietrich election
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: What’s your recourse if the client refuses to pay?
An opinion this year by the New Jersey State Bar’s Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics raises a major alarm bell for any lawyer who has trouble collecting money from a current client.
Tagged with: Attorney fees Ed Poll Lawbiz Coaches Corner pro bono Rules of Professional Conduct
Read More »BLAWG LOG: Geske on restorative justice, mediation in Ireland; Bergner on specialization threatening attorney’s function as counselor
I have the privilege this week of serving as the keynote speaker at the annual Irish Mediator’s Institute conference in Dublin, Ireland. I will talk to this professional mediation organization about the incorporation of restorative justice principles into high emotional conflicts.
Tagged with: Blawg Log
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Carrying too many lawyers — or clients — is fiscal suicide
Bruce MacEwen, whose long-running blog, www.adamsmithesq.com, is subtitled “An inquiry into the economics of law firms,” recently made provocative comments about where the profession’s economics are heading.
Tagged with: ABA Attorney fees Ed Poll Lawbiz Coaches Corner
Read More »BEV BUTULA: It pays to BEA informed
Did you know that the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis offers some great industry, national and regional economic data?
Tagged with: Bev Butula
Read More »Obamacare should spur legal work
The re-election of President Barack Obama can mean only one thing: Obamacare should move forward with all due speed.
Tagged with: Barack Obama health care Obamacare
Read More »BLAWG LOG: DiMotto on the state’s Good Samaritan Law
Section 895.48(1) of the Wisconsin statutes is commonly referred to as a "Good Samaritan Law." The intent of this law is to encourage people, particularly people with medical training and experience, to take action in an emergency situation to provide needed medical attention by providing them with immunity from civil, legal action.
Tagged with: Blawg Log John DiMotto
Read More »JOB CITES: Shhh … Can I make her keep a secret?
The task of conducting internal investigations may have just gotten a bit more difficult.
Tagged with: discrimination EEOC Job Cites NLRB sexual harassment Title VII
Read More »Secunda on what second Obama term means for labor, employment law; Barnes on health care access, payment
In light of President Obama’s resounding re-election victory last night, and other developments in political races down the ticket, here are some of my initial thoughts on what might happen in the labor and employment law area during a second Obama administration.
Tagged with: Barack Obama Blawg Log health care Paul Secunda
Read More »BLAWG LOG: WSJ’s Law Blog: Bankruptcy judges scramble for courtrooms post-Sandy
New York City is crawling back to normal after last week’s crippling storm, but the U.S. Bankruptcy Court building in Lower Manhattan remains paralyzed, forcing a scramble by judges and lawyers to hold key hearings wherever they can find a courtroom.
Tagged with: Blawg Log
Read More »Turning expert witnesses’ data into meaningful testimony
Lawyers care about an expert’s credentials, how the expert’s opinions support their case, and the expert’s ability to withstand cross-examination. Experts care about their reputation and how to balance objectivity with assisting their client’s case. Jurors just want to figure out what the heck is going on.
Tagged with: Expert witness
Read More »Managing the hidden cost of sick days
Do you know how much employee absences are costing you? In the U.S., the average employer cost for unplanned absences is $1,000 per employee each year. This is the second-highest benefit cost to employers after medical benefits.
Tagged with: Sick leave
Read More »BEV BUTULA: Our vote is to inform yourself
The National Archives maintains a website on the U.S. Electoral College. The page is divided into several topics, including FAQs, “What is an Electoral College,” resources for state officials, and a general resource page.
Tagged with: Bev Butula election Google
Read More »Weighing in on the wide world of sports and law
Cleaning out the legal briefcase of the mind on what’s been a busy stretch in the world of sports and the law …
Read More »NLRB opinion offers social media policy insight for employers
Social media websites are a relatively new phenomenon, and employer policies that establish what employees may post on those websites have been the (moving) target of labor disputes and litigation.
Tagged with: NLRB Social media
Read More »Driving a Desaccord
Who knew that appellate law would be one of the fastest-developing areas of practice across the country this fall?
Tagged with: 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
Read More »BLAWG LOG: Boyden on First Sale, ‘Lawfully Made,’ and Copyright Stalking-Horses
The Supreme Court heard oral argument this morning in Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., despite Hurricane Sandy’s imminent arrival and the fact the entire federal government in Washington DC is shut down today.
Read More »LEGAL LOOP: Reviewing some pre-trial iPad apps for lawyers
It seems there are new apps released every day for iPad-using lawyers.
LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: Has your practice changed?
When lawyers enter legal practice, they understand that certain aspects of what they will be doing will change during their careers.
Tagged with: Ed Poll Lawbiz Coaches Corner
Read More »Headed to a conference? Get your game face on
In many ways, lawyers are like professional athletes: competitive, performance-driven and motivated by achievement.
Tagged with: Social media
Read More »Battle of the bill: The art and science of developing your fee structure
It’s a question most lawyers face sooner or later: How much should I charge? Furthermore, how should my fees be structured?
Tagged with: Attorney fees
Read More »LAWBIZ COACHES CORNER: A 3-D view of small firm success
The legal profession has reached a point where upheaval is the “new normal.” Certainly large law firms are changing in response to recession, technology and client demands; those firms that don’t change quickly enough, like Dewey & LeBoeuf, are doomed to swift failure.
Tagged with: Ed Poll Lawbiz Coaches Corner
Read More »BEV BUTULA: Statutes now available as e-books
The Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau announced that the Wisconsin Statutes are now available in e-book format.
Tagged with: Bev Butula Legislative Reference Bureau
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