The Wisconsin Supreme Court has voted to accept 16 new cases. The Court also acted to deny review in a number of cases. The case numbers, issues, and counties of origin are listed below. The first half of this listing ...
Read More »SEC approves rule increasing protection
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently approved a controversial rule proposal that will add significant protections for investors purchasing or exchanging deferred variable annuities. Deferred variable annuities are life insurance annuity contracts whose value fluctuates over time, and whose ...
Read More »Supreme Court accepts case against Wisconsin dioceses
On Oct. 25, the Wisconsin Supreme Court accepted the case of five men who claimed the Roman Catholic dioceses in Madison and Milwaukee covered up a Kentucky teacher’s history of sexual abuse of them as children. In October 2005, Kenneth ...
Read More »The ABCs of LLCs, S.C.s and LLPs
LLC, S.C., LLP… If you don’t practice in the area of business or tax law, you may not know what the alphabet soup after a law firm’s name means — or what it means if there’s no alphabet soup there. ...
Read More »I chose our business structure because…
Lawyers have a variety of options when it comes to organizing their practices. What follows are some of the reasons lawyers gave for organizing their practices as LLCs, LLPs, and S.C.s. “I chose an LLC format because I wanted the ...
Read More »Web of Intrigue
New media offers benefits, dangers in jury selection
Read More »'Grandfather's son' speaks off the bench
Past, present, and future swirl in Justice Thomas' life
Read More »Sentencing objections waived
Failure to object is intentional waiver
Read More »Cuts restored, added state funding denied for Milwaukee County courts
As is almost an annual tradition for Kitty K. Brennan, the chief judge of District 1 outlined the planned cuts to the county budget and how she lobbied to have positions and funding restored during the Milwaukee Bar Association’s 3rd ...
Read More »Give and Take
State budget injects initiatives, deletes funds for circuit courts
Read More »State Budget and the Circuit Courts Highlights
Increase base funding for court interpreter reimbursements from $827,100 to $1,060,600 in 2007-08 and $1,125,100 in 2008-09. State statute revised to provide an interpreter for persons with limited English proficiency, regardless of indigence. Provide $1 million for legal services for ...
Read More »Nine FDCPA issues resolved in four consolidated cases
The Seventh Circuit on Oct. 23 issued an opinion which resolves many unanswered questions about the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), in three areas: The application of the FDCPA to lawyers; The proper treatment under the FDCPA of settlement ...
Read More »Minimum markup law violates Supremacy Clause
State failed to actively monitor law
Read More »Success irrelevant to fees
Fee award in class action vacated
Read More »Will Shabaz’s move to senior status slow down ‘rocket docket’?
Have no fear, speed litigators. Most observers say the “rocket docket” is here to stay – although its velocity might take a slight decrease. On Oct. 4, in a brief letter to President George W. Bush, Western District of Wisconsin ...
Read More »Shabaz reflects on ‘rocket docket’ legacy
I left a message requesting a short telephone interview with federal District Judge John C. Shabaz, in the wake of his announcement that he’ll be assuming senior status when a successor is confirmed, on or before Jan. 20, 2009. The ...
Read More »Juvenile justice
Waukesha program targets juvenile rehabilitation
Read More »Lead paint claims denied
Pigment maker not strictly liable for injury
Read More »Do You YouTube?
New online campaign tools emerging in Wisconsin races
Read More »Taking it to the top
Federal defenders prepare for appearance before U.S. Supreme Court
Read More »Attorney rides rollercoaster by helping clients in crisis
Attorney Bruce G. Arnold stepped onto a rollercoaster 26 years ago when he joined Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek, S.C., in Milwaukee and he has enjoyed the ride ever since. Arnold compares his dual practices in bankruptcy and health care to the ...
Read More »Traffic stop upheld
Owner’s revocation supports vehicle stop
Read More »Supreme Court adopts rules amendments
Changes relate to filing appellate appendices, judicial education sanctions
Read More »Supreme Court adopts rules amendments
Changes relate to filing appellate appendices, judicial education sanctions
Read More »Federal enticement statute held constitutional
The federal statute against using a facility of interstate commerce to entice a minor to engage in a sexual act is constitutional. The Seventh Circuit reached that decision on Oct 9, despite the statute’s lacking an explicit element that the ...
Read More »Multi-factor test flawed
‘Substantial justification’ test used instead
Read More »Walker’s budget contains court staff cuts
Milwaukee County executive denies court’s request to shift revenue from sheriff’s department
Read More »Settlement saves cost, uncertainty of litigation
Those factors contributed to settlement of death, injury cases in Dec. 6 Falk explosion
Read More »Closely-held corp.’s former shareholder can sue accountant
An Oct. 2 opinion from the Wisconsin Court of Appeals enables shareholders in closely-held corporations to settle their grievances with each other, sever their ties, and move on, while preserving the ability to pursue third parties, such as accountants who ...
Read More »Three attorneys oversee billion-dollar network at Modine
Wisconsin Law Journal takes a look at the way two in-house law departments – one small and one large – address legal issues for two different types of companies. Dean R. Zakos, vice president and general counsel for Modine, discusses ...
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