Dec. 22, 2020 – As leaders of the State Bar of Wisconsin, we denounce vicious personal attacks targeting Wisconsin Supreme Court justices and any judge for the decisions they are asked to make while upholding our Constitution and the rule of law. According to various media reports, justices and judges are being threatened with acts of violence and personally attacked in emails, anonymous voicemails, and blog posts.  Among many disturbing words, justices were referred to as “terrorist,” “traitor,” and “tyrant bitch.” Of even greater concern are the vehement anti-Semitic attacks towards individual members of the Court. Sadly, these unconscionable attacks…

Justice Shirley Abrahamson, the longest serving justice in Wisconsin’s judiciary, at a June 18, 2019 event in her honor at the Wisconsin State Capitol. (Photo: Andy Manis). Dec. 21, 2020 – Shirley Abrahamson, who served on the Wisconsin Supreme Court for 43 years before her retirement last year, passed away this past weekend after battling pancreatic cancer. She was 87. “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Shirley Abrahamson,” said State Bar of Wisconsin Executive Director Larry J. Martin. “She was a monumental figure in Wisconsin’s judiciary during her record 43 year…

Networking and social events were still part of the 2020 (Virtual) Wisconsin Solo and Small Firm Conference. Oct. 28-30. Participants kicked off the event with a Halloween style Happy Hour. Oct. 30, 2020 – As expected, law practice amidst COVID-19 is a primary theme at the State Bar of Wisconsin Solo & Small Firm Conference (Oct. 28-30). Most of 2020, firms have navigated uncertainty and major change. And they are still working through it. “We’ve had to deal with a lot of things, and we’ve had to deal with it very quickly,” said David Krekeler, a panelist on “Lessons Learned from COVID-19,”…

David Carlson and his wife, Oksana, pose for a photo on the night of their 50th wedding celebration in April 2019 in New York City. Carlson is the 2020 recipient of the John Lederer Award in recognition of years dedicated to mentoring others in the profession. Oct. 29, 2020 – The situation can be common among new lawyers: That feeling of not knowing how to conduct a new practice. David J. Carlson of Waukesha knows that feeling well. As a brand-new attorney starting his own practice more than 40 years ago, it was difficult not to feel lost at sea.…

Oct. 13, 2020 – When homeowners constructed a 36x80x16-foot building on their Fond du Lac property, the neighbors complained that it violated the subdivision’s restrictions on structures other than “garages.” Recently, a state appeals court ruled for the homeowners. In Buehrens v. Schave, 2019AP1649 (Oct. 7, 2020), a three-judge panel for the District II Court of Appeals ruled that the structure must stand because the subdivision’s restrictive covenant on “garages” was not clear enough to require a different result. “Following well-established Wisconsin law, we must favor the free and unencumbered use of property when purported restrictions in covenants are not…

Oct. 6, 2020 – Circuit courts must revert to restrictions on in-person court proceedings if amending operational plans amidst COVID-19, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled (4-3) in an order that clarifies how circuit courts must manage changing circumstances. In March and April, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued a number of orders that prohibited in-person proceedings, including jury trials, until further notice. The court system quickly shifted to remote proceedings through videoconferencing. In late May, the supreme court issued an order determining that “individual circuit courts of this state may begin gradually to resume in-person proceedings, including jury trials, on…

Sept. 28, 2020 – The “emeritus” classification of membership, which currently applies to members age 70 and older, would change under a proposal approved by the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Board of Governors at its first (virtual) meeting of the fiscal year. The State Bar will now petition the Wisconsin Supreme Court seeking final approval of a classification change under court rules, SCR Chapter 10, which regulates the State Bar. The proposal would require attorneys ages 70 to 75 in “active” law practice to continue paying full State Bar dues (currently $260 annually) and to fulfill all continuing legal…

Sept. 23, 2020 – A state appeals court has ruled that a community organization that sought disclosure of a draft contract between the City of Waukesha and a professional baseball team is entitled to attorney fees in the public records litigation. Friends of Frame Park (Friends) tried to obtain a draft contract between Waukesha and Big Top Baseball LLC, which was pursuing plans to construct a stadium in Waukesha’s 34-acre Frame Park along the Fox River for summer league collegiate baseball. The city released the draft contract only after Friends sought a writ of mandamus in the circuit court, which…