There is an interesting paradox occurring in our federal government. While it appears that the IRS Collection Division is increasing its efforts to collect unpaid taxes, it is also increasing the use of tools that delay the collection of tax.
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Commentary
DiMotto on other acts evidence; Federal Evidence Review on hearsay
Check out these interesting legal blogs.
Read More »Pro se divorces just aren’t American
I had a very nice lunch recently with a judge who handles a family court calendar, swapping war stories and such.
Read More »Online Verdict Information
Morelaw is a great website to gather information on outcomes of civil litigation. This is an excellent free resource to add to your arsenal when conducting verdict or expert witness research. “MoreLaw collects and publishes civil litigation information from the state and federal courts nationwide.”
Read More »Court unhappy with citation problems
Over the summer, the Court of Appeals issued four decisions involving criminal cases, both published and unpublished, sanctioning counsel for various infractions. In one decision, the Court sanctioned counsel from both parties. What piqued the Court's ire the most were false appendix certifications and, in one case, missing record citations.
Read More »DiMotto on the right to a public trial; Nistler on getting clients
Check out these interesting legal blogs.
Read More »Virtual office offers lawyers real benefits
Brookfield attorney Martin L. Ditkof's father died at age 54. It left a huge impression on Ditkof, 53, who wanted to be able to manage his practice in a way that would let him enjoy life as well.
Read More »Suhr on interpreting the state constitution; Bauer on domestic violence recidivism
Check out these interesting legal blogs.
Read More »I’d have a grand time with Civil Gideon
I've always thought that getting tarred and feathered was something that only happened in Mark Twain novels. But I think it could still happen today.
Read More »New (to me) Smartphone Apps
I am always amazed by the number of legal related apps available for the iPhone, Blackberry, and other smartphones. Here are just a few I discovered recently: The Book of Jargon – This application is a free glossary of corporate and bank finance slang and terminology. It is developed by Latham & Watkins. It appears to only be available for ...
Read More »New IRS rules target tax return preparers
The Department of the Treasury is at it again. They are broadening the rules of ethics that govern practice before the IRS in a continued effort to clean up the tax business. The IRS will now require everyone that prepares "all or substantially all" of a tax return to register with the IRS and receive a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). As before, the new rules are more expansive than necessary to achieve their goal.
Read More »A closer look at criminal history
Under the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act ("WFEA"), the circumstances of the pending criminal charge must be substantially related to the circumstances of the team member's particular job before a job offer may be rescinded due an arrest and/or conviction record. What exactly does that mean?
Read More »Wild Pitches
These days, most lawyers and law firms are pretty conservative when it comes to advertising dollars.
Read More »Bauer on harmful side effects; DiMotto on polling the jury
Check out these interesting legal blogs.
Read More »It’s just not that hard to follow the rules
There has been a great hullabaloo lately about Wisconsin's system of attorney discipline.
Read More »Hello, Goodbye
I often speak to groups about Google and all its features. According to the Google Blog, a feature I have discussed since 2007 will be discontinued.
Read More »Billable hour not on its way out just yet
One consistent theme to come out of the Great Recession is that the billable hour, if not dead, is dying as a metric of measuring law firm performance.
Read More »O’Hear on federal sentencing; Nistler on going solo
Check out these interesting legal blogs.
Read More »Smartpen makes note taking an easy task
I never learned to type.
Read More »Pettit on civil Gideon; O’Hear on ineffective assistance
Check out these interesting legal blogs.
Read More »The Justice Department is wonderful
I recently watched the season premiere of my favorite television show.
Read More »Where there’s smoke…there’s playoffs?
It's the final weekend of Major League Baseball's regular season and there are still a few playoff positions to be decided.
Read More »Senate reaches deal to prevent recess appointment of Butler; Pettit on new landlord tenant forms
Check out these interesting legal blogs.
Read More »Dropbox keeps you ahead in the cloud
I've been using Dropbox for so long I assumed that everyone else on the planet was too - or at least knew about it.
Read More »Bauer on recidivism; Boyden on social networks, discovery
Check out these interesting legal blogs.
Read More »Watch your step with unpublished opinions
You've got a thorny legal issue for which there is no published Wisconsin appellate decision. Or, you've got a relatively simple legal issue, but a unique set of facts which no published Wisconsin appellate decision has addressed.
Read More »On disillusion with the law and Walser
A couple weeks ago, I wrote about how I advised a young woman to go to law school. This week is the counterpoint.
Read More »Pettit on landlords’ lawsuit; Esenberg on attorney discipline
Check out these interesting legal blogs.
Read More »Wiesmuellers get their day in court
The Wisconsin Supreme Court admitted Thursday 105 new attorneys who successfully passed the state bar exam.
Read More »Avoid being nickel and dimed by banks
While lawyers might be unpopular in some circles, bankers may be closing in on us.
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