Executive Committee Actions

The following State Bar Executive Committee actions were taken at its March 16 meeting. Members may request a copy of the minutes from the State Bar by calling (800) 728-7788 (nationwide), (800) 362-8096 (statewide), or (608) 257-3838 (Madison).

DECIDED that award money won by a State Bar entity should be put into the general fund and the entity that won the money should be given special consideration next year if it proposes a worthy project. There should not be any set-aside or automatic preference. This policy does not apply to a situation where a division budgets to win a specific competition and in fact does win it.

RECOMMENDED that the Board of Governors approve the proposed Nonresident Lawyers Division bylaw amendments to conform the division election to the new time of the election for statewide office and Board of Governors.

APPROVED a change in the State Bar staff cafeteria plan vendor from first Health to M&I.

AGREED to join with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and finance one-half of the $6,500 book that would include the pictures and brief biographies of each former justice of the court.

RECOMMENDED that the board suspend the four-year limit for consecutive service by members on a State Bar special committee for the coming year.

DISCUSSED the proposed FY99 State Bar budget.

RECOMMENDED that the board create a new section on energy and telecommunications law.

HEARD a report from MRA Management Institute on an employee opinion survey.

DECIDED that State Bar entities funding scholarships may do so only if the scholarship is approved by the Finance Committee either as part of the original budget or an amendment to the budget.

REINSTATED the pro bono coordinator position as a full-time position effective as soon as the Finance Committee makes a finding that the reinstatement can be handled within the current year budget.

SET the FY99 Keller dues reduction at $8.

ACTED on a committee request to allocate money from an approved project for FY98 to another project.