Any adult in Wisconsin can file for a name change at the circuit court in their county of residence. The forms required to file for a name change – CV-450 – can be found for free on the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) website. Name changes in Wisconsin are normally required to be public processes, and petitioners must publish notice of a proposed name change in a newspaper for three weeks before the name change can be granted. When
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After Wave of Environmental Regulation Rollbacks, Trump Administration Announces PFAS-Combatting Initiatives
Initiatives to Combat PFAS Announced After Environmental Regulation Rollbacks
The second Trump term has already been marked by significant environmental deregulation, including targeting major climate change, energy efficiency, environmental justice, and air pollution policies established over the decades since the first wave of environmental regulatory schemes began in the 1970s.[1] These rollbacks have been compounded by reductions in the EPA workforce and budget, including the agency’s scientific research division.[2] The reduction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS),
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Weighing the consequences of Judge Dugan’s arrest
May 20, 2025
Much as I would prefer any other topic for my column this month, the arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan was the biggest story in local law in, well, forever.
In the event you’ve been living under a rock, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested April 25 at the courthouse on charges of helping a defendant, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, who had a case in her courtroom, evade immigration authorities who had a warrant for his
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A Local Government May Consider Conditional Uses in a Zoning Category In Reviewing a Rezoning Application
In a case recommended for publication (Dyersville Ready Mix Inc. v. Iowa Cnty. Bd. of Supervisors, No. 2024AP1091, 2025 WL 1078289 (Wis. Ct. App. 2025)), the Wisconsin Court of Appeals recently held that local governments may consider the allowed conditional uses in a zoning district when deciding a rezoning application.
What Did the Property Owner Propose?
Dyersville Ready Mix Inc. d/b/a BARD Materials applied to Iowa County to rezone a 100-acre property located in the Town of
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Attorneys Jessica Mederson & Pahoua Thao Present at Association of Corporate Counsel – Wisconsin Conference
Stafford Rosenbaum discusses data privacy regulation and risk to Association of Corporate Counsel – Wisconsin
Stafford Rosenbaum Attorneys Jessica Mederson and Pahoua Thao, as well as in-house Cotiviti Attorney Krista Baisch, will give a presentation to an audience of corporate counsel lawyers during the 2025 Association of Corporate Counsel – Wisconsin Conference on May 15, 2025. The annual Conference brings together in-house Wisconsin attorneys who can choose from 26 CLE sessions to customize a program schedule to fit their
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Wisconsin Supreme Court Upholds Governor’s ‘400-Year Veto’ and Affirms Expansive Partial-Veto Power
The Wisconsin governor’s partial-veto power is unique. Although some states grant governors the power to veto entire budget line items, Wisconsin’s governor may veto discrete parts of appropriation bills, including words, punctuation marks, and digits. See generally Wis. Const. art. V, § 10(1)(b), (c). On April 18, 2025, the Wisconsin Supreme Court revisited Wisconsin’s anomalous partial veto power in its tenth ever opinion on the topic, LeMieux v. Evers, 2025 WI 12, which addressed the constitutionality of Governor Tony
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Attorney Jessica Mederson Presents on Energy Resiliency in Construction Law
Attorney Jessica Mederson presents on construction law and resiliency measures amid a changing climate
On Thursday, May 1, Attorney Jessica C. Mederson will give a “Strategies for Incorporating Energy Resiliency and Climate Change into Construction Projects and Contracts” presentation at Centro Hispano of Dane County. Part of the daylong Construction Law Update: Current Trends in Sustainability and Finance hosted by the State Bar of Wisconsin, Jessica will present to a Madison-area audience of construction, sustainability, community, and legal
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D.C. Court of Appeals Joins Prohibition on Pro Se Pursuit of FCA Claims
In United States ex rel. Feliciano v. Ardoin, a pro se relator filed a qui tam action under the False Claims Act (“FCA”). On February 4, 2025, the D.C. Court of Appeals (the “Court”) affirmed a district court’s dismissal ruling that a pro se litigant cannot allege violations of the FCA. In doing so, the Court joined every other court of appeals to have addressed the question.
Background
The FCA, codified at 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-3733, empowers
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Expungement and Pardons in Wisconsin: A Brief Overview
Wisconsin ranks 38th in the nation on laws related to restoring rights and opportunities after arrest or conviction.1 According to the Wisconsin Policy Forum, Wisconsin is the only state in the nation where judges are required to order expungement at sentencing instead of at the completion of someone’s sentence. Wisconsin also limits expungement to people under the age of 25, making it one of the only states that limits expungement to young offenders.2
Christina E. Balistreri,
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Attorney Anthony Menting Earns Wisconsin Law Journal Powerlist Honor
Stafford Rosenbaum Attorney Tony Menting recognized on Family Law Powerlist by Wisconsin Law Journal
Originally published on wislawjournal.com on March 27, 2025.
Similar to surgeons or CPAs, Anthony Menting believes that divorce lawyers must be clinical and objective. While he acknowledges the emotional aspects of family law, Menting helps his clients navigate them by clearly detailing outcomes and managing unrealistic expectations.
Menting, a partner at Stafford Rosenbaum’s Madison office, focuses his practice on divorce, mediation, and
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DHS Announces Termination of CHNV Parole Program
On March 25, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a notice terminating the categorical parole program for certain aliens from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (“CHNV”) and their immediate family members. The program is set to end on April 24, 2025.
Individuals currently in the United States under the CHNV parole program who wish to remain in the United States should immediately seek a lawful immigration status or other basis allowing them to stay.
Employers concerned about
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Attorney Vanessa Wishart Presents Legal Updates in Wisconsin Water & Environmental Law
Attorney Vanessa Wishart provides legal updates in Wisconsin water law to WI Wastewater Operators Association
Attorney Vanessa Wishart will give legal updates on Wisconsin water and environmental law as part of a daylong symposium on March 18, 2025, to an audience of municipal officials, water treatment plant operators, contractors, and consultants. The 2025 Spring Biosolids Symposium in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, is an annual event providing a forum for discussion and information exchange by assembling speakers who are recognized experts
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Court of Appeals Concludes Ballots Lacking Election Official Endorsements Must Be Counted
Wisconsin Court of Appeals issues opinion that voting ballots lacking endorsements from elections officials must be counted
On March 6, 2025, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals (Dist. IV) issued a must-read election law opinion declining to toss out three ballots cast in a Rock County election. Gonfiantini v. Rock Cnty. Bd. of Canvassers, No. 2024AP1233 (Wis. Ct. App. March 6, 2025) (recommended for publication). The three ballots were not initialed (i.e. “endorsed”) by the appropriate elections officials as required
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Attorneys Iana Vladimirova & Rich Latta Moderate Discussions at ALFA International Seminar
Stafford Rosenbaum Attorneys Latta and Vladimirova speak to ALFA International business audiences during International Client Seminar
Two attorneys at Stafford Rosenbaum, the Wisconsin member law firm of global legal network ALFA International, participated in the organization’s International Client Seminar on March 6-9, 2025.
Attorney Rich Latta moderated a panel discussion, “The More Things Change—What Happens Now After the U.S. Supreme Court in Loper Bright Has Turned Back the Clock to 1984?” The panel discussed the Loper Bright decision,
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Medicare Expands Health Care Access for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals
A significant barrier for individuals reentering communities after incarceration is accessing health care. For many, health appointments are conditions to release and parole, and often medical care is lifesaving for those with mental health issues and substance use disorders. This article discusses the health care options under the federal Medicare program. New changes expanding access to recently incarcerated individuals took effect Jan. 1, 2025. Christine Huberty, William Mitchell 2013, is an attorney with Center for Medicare Advocacy.
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Attorneys Kent & Landretti Present on Wisconsin Water Law Issues
Attorneys Paul Kent & Jane Landretti present on current legal issues in Wisconsin water law
Attorneys Paul Kent and Jane Landretti will give a presentation on Wednesday, March 5, during the 2025 Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance Conference. The two-day Conference will cover topics like regulation and guidance, climate change, green infrastructure, dissolved phosphorus capture, watershed recovery, recycling and reuse in stormwater, and community engagement for an audience including engineers, professors, community leaders, government entities, local elected officials, and concerned
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