Sept. 2, 2020 – On Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020, commencing at 9 a.m., a public hearing will be held before referee Robert E. Kinney at the Milwaukee Bar Association,747 N. Broadway, Milwaukee, on the petition of Daniel Morse, Milwaukee, to reinstate his Wisconsin law license. Any interested person may appear at the hearing and be heard in support of or in opposition to the petition.

On May 21, 2019, the Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended Morse’s law license for one year based on misconduct that was related to an estate matter for which Morse was also criminally convicted of three counts of misdemeanor embezzlement. The court found that Morse failed to take steps to advance the interests of an estate (SCR 20:1.3); failed to promptly deliver documents in his possession (SCR 20:1.16(d)); failed to abide by a probate court order (SCR 20:3.4(c)); and failed to keep in trust funds totaling more than $25,000 belonging to the estate, instead paying those funds to his law firm and himself and using the funds to pay personal obligations (SCR 20:8.4(c) and SCR 20:1.15(b)(1)). Disciplinary Proceedings Against Morse, 2019 WI 53. 

In April 2020, Morse petitioned for reinstatement of his Wisconsin law license. To be reinstated, Morse has the burden of substantiating by clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence that 1) he has the moral character to practice law in Wisconsin, 2) his resumption of the practice of law will not be detrimental to the administration of justice or subversive of the public interest, 3) all of his representations in his reinstatement petition are substantiated, and 4) he has complied fully with the terms of the orders of suspension and with SCR 22.26.

Relevant information may be provided to or obtained from OLR assistant litigation counsel John T. Payette, P.O. Box 1648, Madison, WI 53701-1648. The OLR’s toll free telephone number is (877) 315-6941. Attorney Payette’s direct phone is (608) 267-9018.