Waukesha_County_Bar Association

SCRIPTUS

P.O. Box 88

Waukesha, WI 53187-0088

A Publication of the Waukesha County Bar Association

February, 2010

Danni Caldwell-Editor

			Table of Contents (click on a link to go to the article or item)
			Mark Your Calendars
			President's Letter
			Minutes and Treasurer's Report November, 2009
			Clerk of Courts News
			Section News
			Member News
			New on the WCBA Website

MARK YOUR CALENDARS
March 18, 2010 5:30 p.m. April/May, 2010 May 20, 2010	Judicial Candidate Forum Waukesha County Administration Center Cafeteria Spring Awards Dinner * Annual Meeting/CLE * * Members only events.

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A Word From Your President

Dear Members:

As we are all aware, the various Judicial and State Bar elections are rapidly approaching. Some of the races will receive more publicity than others. However every race is important and demands our attention. For instance, this year a member of the Waukesha County Bar Association, Bill Gleisner, is on the slate of candidates for the Wisconsin Judicial Council. This body advises the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Legislature on matters involving the administration of justice. You can find Bill’s biographical information, as well as similar information regarding the other candidates, on the State Bar website at this time. I would encourage all members to use the State Bar Website and other resources to obtain information on candidates running for various positions in the State.

The members of our bar association will soon be receiving a judicial poll addressing the candidates for both the Circuit Court and Appellate Court races. The Waukesha County Bar Association is also hosting a Judicial Forum in March. Details will be provided in the near future.
There are many opportunities for each of us to become involved in the election process and our bar association will continue to seek ways to inform our members of developments in our legal community.

Doug

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WCBA Board Minutes - Thursday, November 19 , 2009

Attendance: Douglas Swanson, Christine D'Angelo, Michelle Martin, Danni Caldwell, Craig Kuhary, Linda Coyle, and Sharron Stolpa.

Call to Order: The meeting was duly called to order by President Doug Swanson.

Minutes of the October 22, 2009, Board of Directors Meeting:   A motion was made, seconded, and adopted to approve the Minutes of the October 22, 2009, Board of Directors Meeting as submitted.

Treasurer's and Membership Report: The Treasurer's and Membership Report was reviewed. There were no issues regarding the Report. However, it was noted that in addition to the amount of members listed on the Membership Report, there are now 3 additional members that registered at the Ethics Seminar.

Old Business and Committee Reports

State Board of Governors' Report Doug Swanson referred the Board to an email from Kim Haines explaining that there was no update because there had been no meeting of the Board of Governors since the last Board of Directors meeting.

Scriptus/Website Danni Caldwell gave an update on the status of the Scriptus. She indicated that the next Scriptus was going to be sent out in the next couple of days.

Annual Meeting in Sections   There was a discussion regarding the 2010 annual meeting and the involvement of the sections and speakers. The annual meeting date is tentatively set for May 20, 2010. Michelle Martin is going to work with the sections to clarify their participation. One issue that needs to be clarified is whether or not the sections are going to have speakers for informational purposes versus speakers for credit.

Ethics Seminar The Ethics Seminar was held on November 9, 2009. Attendance was consistent with prior years. Thanks were given to all who headed up the seminar.

Scholarship Program   Doug Swanson informed the Board that the scholarship applications are still being reviewed. There were a fair number of applications and qualified candidates. Due to the number of interested persons, the scholarship was not awarded prior to November 9, 2009.

New Business

Holiday Party   Michelle Martin informed the Board that the invitations for the Holiday Party had been sent out. Sharron Stolpa informed the Board that RSVPs were beginning to arrive.

Judges' Update Luncheon   The Board discussed the annual Judges' Update Luncheon. The Luncheon is tentatively scheduled for January 11, 2010 with a location to be determined. Doug Swanson is going to contact the Chief Judge with regard to the Judges' participation at the luncheon.

"What Civil Court Judges Want to Know" Presentation   Judge Bohren has inquired as to whether or not this presentation would be useful or helpful to the WCBA Bar members. It was discussed that Judge Bohren should inquire as to the ability of the Judges to participate in such a presentation and then discuss this further with the WCBA to see when this presentation could occur.

Changes in IOLTA Accounts   Doug Swanson circulated some correspondence with regard to proposed changes in IOLTA accounts at the financial institution level. The information will be posted on the WCBA website.

Next Meeting: It was determined that the Board will not have a December, 2009 Board meeting.*

Adjournment: A motion was made, seconded, and adopted to adjourn.

Respectfully submitted,

Michelle E. Martin, Secretary/Treasurer

* The next meeting will be on Thursday, February 25, 2010 at 12:00 p.m. in Room G-55 of the Waukesha County Administration Center.

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From the Clerk of Courts

Nothing was submitted.

Section News

Please send section news and information to Michelle Martin at mmartin@murnlaw.com or Danni Caldwell at wcba1@waukeshabar.org.

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Member News

Domina Investiture

    All WCBA members are invited to the formal investiture of William Domina as Circuit Court Judge Branch 11 on February 25 at 3:45 p.m. in the Ceremonial Courtroom of the Waukesha County Courthouse. Congratulations on your appointment, Bill!

Wisconsin Bar Association Election

    Candidates for President-elect of the Wisconsin Bar Association were invited to submit articles about themselves for inclusion in this newsletter. The inclusion of these articles is in no way an endorsement of any candidate by WCBA and are provided for informational purposes for our members.

Message from Margaret Hickey

As President-Elect I will advance the Bar's work to provide the efficient delivery of relevant and valued services to State Bar Members. When I served as Chair of the Elder Law and the Family Law Sections, I became familiar with the needs of members across the state. I helped create the Elder Law Section Workshop to exchange ideas on substantive and practice issues.   I have served on the Board of Governors, (as Board Chair and Treasurer) and on the Finance and the Executive Committees. While serving on the Milwaukee Bar Association Board, I helped the Waukesha Bar, of which I am a member, to establish its Lawyer Referral Service. My work with these Sections and Boards gives me broad experience about what members need to practice law successfully and how the Bar facilitates that.

I have managed a small law firm for over 18 years. My clientele ranges from executives of large companies to self employed individuals. I understand the struggles that attorneys face to practice law and that clients face in buying our services.

The most pressing issue facing members is the delivery of competent, quality and ethical legal services in a challenging economy. Attorneys in solo, small or large firm practices, government or corporate settings must work harder to produce quality services with the same or fewer resources. The Bar must assist attorneys, including nonresidents, by providing relevant CLE, products, resources and a forum to work within the branches of government. It must assist attorneys in meeting their pro bono obligations and the courts with delivery of legal services, which tasks must be accomplished in the most cost-effective manner possible.

Other challenges facing State Bar members include: direct competition from non-lawyers, technology, law developments, maintaining work-life balance, changing demographics, inadequate court funding, and globalization.   The Bar assists lawyers in meeting these challenges with tools such as Fastcase (free legal research), Practice 411 (office management assistance) and the Ultimate Pass (attendance at unlimited CLE for a low set annual price.) We must continue to develop innovative ways to address these challenges to make the practice of law more productive and less stressful.

Recently, there has been much debate about whether we should be a voluntary or mandatory association. When the person elected in this race takes office as President in 2011, this issue will likely have been decided. Whoever wins this election will need to lead the Bar whether it continues as an integrated or becomes a voluntary organization. I have the skills to do that. My small firm practice in competitive practice areas helps me understand the challenges that lawyers face in running a business. I have practiced law full time for 24 years, helped to raise a family and have been active in Bar and community activities. As President of the Milwaukee Bar Association, I led a voluntary bar association of over 2,500 members.

My energy, enthusiasm and skills will make me an effective State Bar President and I ask for your vote.
Contact me at: margaret@beckerhickey.com

Message from Sarah Fry Bruch (Sally)

Why should I be chosen president-elect?

Among the candidates, if elected I will bring a unique perspective, that comes from having spent over half my career working as a lawyer outside of Milwaukee. More than half of lawyers in Wisconsin practice outside of Milwaukee and Madison. I've practiced in small general practices in Milwaukee and Wausau, as an Assistant District Attorney for Portage County in Stevens Point, and in a part-time solo private practice also.
As lawyers, I believe we need a Bar that helps us tool our practices with cost effective, high quality CLE programs.   We need a Bar that's responsive to our requests for programming - because we need to serve our clients regardless of the location, size or type of our practice.

Issues.
I personally support a Voluntary bar. Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota have voluntary bars, as do more than 15 others. North Carolina's bar has been voluntary since the 1800s.
Whether the Bar remains Mandatory or becomes Voluntary, Wisconsin lawyers need a Bar that's responsive to, and shaped by the needs of its members. If elected, during the three years that I serve as President-Elect, President, and Past-President, I will meet annually with each local bar. I will hold semi-annual meetings with local bar presidents throughout the state. And I will propose that Board of Governors members be required to attend local bar meetings in their districts. With membership of more than 23,000 lawyers, it's imperative that Bar Leadership is aware of, and responsive to, issues facing lawyers in each district.

Diversity.
The U.S. Census Bureau has projected that by the year 2050, minorities will comprise almost 45% of the U.S. population. In 2008, 7% of all school children in Wisconsin were Hispanic.
During the last decade, as a result of a concerted Diversity Call to Action by General Counsel for 50 national corporations and 100 managing partners of large national law firms, Wisconsin Law firms may now be getting inquiries from prospective corporate clients about what our firms have done to promote Diversity, and whether we've hired or promoted minority and diverse lawyers.
As lawyers, I believe we should encourage young minorities to pursue careers in law.
The Bar has 5 Law Related Education programs that allow upcoming generations of Wisconsin lawyers to learn about government, the judiciary, and to explore a career in law. Follow-up shows that students who compete in the State Bar's High School Mock Trial Tournament are more likely to pursue law as a career.
I've been a member of the State Bar's Diversity Outreach Committee since 2003.   This year as Chair, we've launched initiative to start Mock Trial teams in the Milwaukee Public School District. If elected, I will propose to implement the 5 Law Related Education Programs in schools through out Wisconsin that have large minority student populations.

I am honored to have been nominated, and would be honored to serve as your President. Thank you for your consideration and for your vote this April.

Message from Jay A. Urban

In this election, I am listening to the membership about the direction of the bar - to each and every lawyer who has taken the time to share their views. Listening is the foundation of my candidacy, and I have learned there are a few important issues:

1. The perception of many members about the bar, specifically the voluntary/mandatory issue, but just as important, the way it delivers services.
2. The public perception of lawyers, and the lawyers' relations with one another and with their organizations.
3. The future delivery of legal services in a rapidly evolving climate.

I am for a voluntary bar, much like our neighboring states, and believe, like them, the overwhelming majority of attorneys will join. The past several elections have highlighted the importance of this issue, and the Supreme Court should hear the matter.

Currently, the Bar is undergoing that process - slowly. I do not believe it will be done by this election, which is why it is important that if the Bar becomes voluntary, a candidate who believes in the process be at the helm. Most importantly, in key hearings taking place, I am the only candidate who gave testimony and took a position. Personally, I am pro-bar, and would gladly serve this membership whether mandatory or voluntary.

Why do some members feel that membership does not offer enough benefit? To continue addressing and resolving this issue is why I seek your support. Some feel there are real benefits to Bar membership but have concluded the Bar should be voluntary. Others feel the Bar does not offer enough benefit or disagree with the priorities. Whether you favor a mandatory or voluntary bar, we should all favor strengthening our organization so that membership offers real benefits.

I am committed to implementing the changes we need to make with the structure to deal with disconnect and perceived lack of efficiency, or some questionable value to certain services. Here is how I would approach this issue:

COOPERATION. Having been actively involved in various voluntary, specialty trial bar organizations, I have learned how they operate. Our Bar should look for ways to further cooperate with the bars, including local bar organizations, to develop synergy with two key items: better delivery of services to clients and better tools to do so.

SERVICES. The Bar has studied how it delivers services and a major survey released Dec. 2008. Now we need act to implement those changes. The first thing that I will do is take the survey and make it into a detailed plan.

IMAGE. Reclaiming the image of lawyers is an issue that deserves our serious study. It is in our best interest for the public perception of attorneys to be both accurate and positive or else it hampers our ability to deliver services.

I am seeking your support with fresh insight and creative energy. I have a plan to resolve the voluntary/mandatory debate, and I believe we need to address the perception that membership does not offer appropriate benefit. Thank you.

New on the WCBA Web Site

Please provide your input into our new member poll on the website opening page.

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Comments or questions about the Scriptus should be directed to:

Danni Caldwell, Editor

548-7432

wcba1@waukeshabar.org

Really Ready for Spring!