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THE DARK SIDE: There’s no pilpul in the Wisconsin Law Journal
I recently learned a new Yiddish term while reading a novel called "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok: "pilpul."
THE DARK SIDE: What is this state smokin’?
Everyone has to have faith in something or somebody. I have faith in the actuaries who work for insurance companies. If they say women should have lower rates for life insurance than men, then I know women live longer than men on average. If they base car insurance rates on zip codes, then I know […]
THE DARK SIDE: When good unions go bad
This is an example of what is wrong with public sector unions. I’m not attacking public sector unions here. They have their pros and cons. But this case is a good example of one of the cons — excessive litigation that private sector unions and employers wouldn’t pursue. It is a 188-page decision from the […]
THE DARK SIDE: Attorney discipline should be left to the attorneys
Every few months, our local left-wing propaganda machine, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, goes on a new jihad about something or other, whether it be making our already draconian drunk driving laws even more draconian, or trying to outlaw a perfectly safe chemical like BPA.
THE DARK SIDE: The main difference between Madison and Milwaukee? Sand
I was in Madison one day last week. Those of you who enjoy my work will be happy to know that I was not burned at the stake for heresy. Instead, I had a lovely time.
THE DARK SIDE: The Grateful Dead meet the courthouse crowd
When I was young, it was an annual event to go see the Grateful Dead perform at Alpine Valley. You can imagine what that entailed. I never went to the extreme of traveling around the country to follow the band. Some people have always had to work, you know. But when they came to town […]
Dealing with judicial death threats
Last month, a New Jersey man was arrested and charged with making death threats against three judges on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The motivation for the threats was the unremarkable opinion in NRA v. City of Chicago, No. 08-4241 (June 2, 2009). Without deciding the merits of the Second Amendment issue, the court […]
Citation of unpublished opinions starts July 1
July 1 will be a landmark day in Wisconsin legal history. Starting that day, attorneys will be allowed to cite some unpublished Court of Appeals' opinions. Unpublished but authored opinions issued on July 1 or after can be cited for persuasive, but not precedential, authority. Per curiam opinions and summary dispositions still won't be citable. […]
Don’t interfere with jury deliberations
Whether to change Wisconsin’s rules governing joint and several liability is an issue that will certainly rise again, even if it is not included in the state’s budget bill. I don’t intend here to take any position on what the optimum rules are — whether 51 percent liability should be required for joint and several […]
Judicial elections – I give up
I have long opposed changes to how Wisconsin elects its judges. From proposals for appointment, to so-called “merit-selection,” to limits on the amount of campaign contributions, I have opposed them all. But I’m switching sides, now. What is the cause of the sudden change of heart, you ask? Have I suddenly decided that it is […]
When contracts are outlawed, only outlaws will enter contracts
Today, May 28, Rep. Gordon Hintz is proposing a new law to outlaw payday loans. http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=159936 That’s not what the law actually says, of course. It merely imposes a cap of 36 percent interest annually on such loans. Consider the effect, however. A press release from Rep. Hintz notes that, if a consumer borrows $100 […]
Appropriate Attire
Apparently, some of the federal judges at the Seventh Circuit Bar Association convention this week believe that some attorneys’ clothing choices are inappropriate. It seems pretty simple to me: wear your conservative paisley ties at trial, especially when you do lots of child sexual assault cases, and save the whimsical ties for scheduling conferences. I’m […]
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Loading ...Legal News
- Wisconsin attorney loses law license, ordered to pay $16K fine
- Former Wisconsin police officer charged with 5 bestiality felony counts
- Judge reject’s Trump’s bid for a new trial in $83.3 million E. Jean Carroll defamation case
- Dozens of deaths reveal risks of injecting sedatives into people restrained by police
- The Latest: Supreme Court arguments conclude in Trump immunity case
- Net neutrality restored as FCC votes to regulate internet providers
- Wisconsin Attorney General asks Congress to expand reproductive health services
- Attorney General Kaul releases update at three-year anniversary of clergy and faith leader abuse initiative
- State Bar leaders remain deeply divided over special purpose trust
- Former Wisconsin college chancellor fired over porn career is fighting to keep his faculty post
- Pecker says he pledged to be Trump campaign’s ‘eyes and ears’ during 2016 race
- A conservative quest to limit diversity programs gains momentum in states
WLJ People
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Russell Nicolet
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Benjamin Nicolet
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Dustin T. Woehl
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Katherine Metzger
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Joseph Ryan
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – James M. Ryan
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Dana Wachs
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Mark L. Thomsen
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Matthew Lein
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Jeffrey A. Pitman
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – William Pemberton
- Power 30 Personal Injury Attorneys – Howard S. Sicula
