Wisconsin
Lawyer
Vol. 79, No. 10, October
2006
Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson addresses the crowd
assembled in her honor at September's celebration.
Chief Justice Abrahamson celebrates milestones
On Sept. 6, an estimated 1,200 people attended a celebration of
Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson's 50 years
as a lawyer, 30 years on the supreme court, and 10 years as chief
justice.
In his remarks, Gov. Patrick J. Lucey, who appointed Abrahamson to
the bench, said, "The chief justice has brought the message of judicial
independence to every courthouse in the state.
"She has found her opinions quoted and affirmed by the U.S. Supreme
Court," he said. "She has taken the reputation of Wisconsin's judiciary
for independence around the world.
"I thought when I appointed her that she would be strong and
independent. And I thought she would last. I thought that she would
provide a legacy - not for me but for the state of Wisconsin - and she
has." - Gov. Patrick J. Lucey
Clerk of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals, Cornelia
Clark, bid the court farewell in September after 30 years of
service.
Clerk of Courts Cornelia Clark retires after many years of
service
On Sept. 29, after 30 years of service, Cornelia Clark retired as
Clerk of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. Clark was first hired
as a receptionist to Ed Wilkie in the Office of the Administrative
Director of the Courts in 1976. Reorganized in 1978 as the Director of
State Courts Office, Clark then moved to the position of judicial
assignment assistant and later was appointed as deputy clerk of the
supreme court and the newly created court of appeals. In 2000, the
supreme court selected her to succeed Marilyn Graves as clerk.
"My career with the Wisconsin Court System has been extremely
rewarding," says Clark. "A large part of my responsibilities involved
ensuring that the courts received the case files in a complete and
timely manner. To ensure this, an effective clerk's office needs to
provide procedural guidance regarding the rules of appellate procedure
and court policies to assist attorneys in the filing of papers. I feel
attorneys practicing before Wisconsin's appellate courts have come to
rely on and value the information provided by this office. I will miss
the involvement with this process and communicating with the attorneys
that practiced before the appellate courts."
Project seeks pro bono lawyers for Legal
Action clients, provides free CLE training
The Volunteer Lawyers Project (VLP), sponsored by Legal Action of
Wisconsin, will provide free CLE training to lawyers who will represent
low-income clients in a variety of poverty-related legal issues and
civil matters in any of the southern 39 counties Legal Action
serves.
"We work with volunteer lawyers to provide pro bono representation in
cases involving income and economic security, family preservation,
personal safety, and shelter," says Pat Risser, VLP
attorney-coordinator. "Attorneys who attend training are expected to
take two cases in the following year or commit to three or more mornings
or afternoons to meet clients and evaluate their cases in one of the
VLP's intake clinics."
Training will be presented in Madison and in Waukesha. Sessions are
all day, unless otherwise noted. Madison sessions will be offered on
Nov. 9 - consumer law, Nov. 10 - bankruptcy (morning), and Nov. 10 -
housing law (afternoon). Waukesha sessions will be offered on Nov. 14 -
unemployment compensation (afternoon), Nov. 14 - elder law (afternoon),
Nov. 15 - family law, and Nov. 16 - Social Security disability and
insurance.
Programs will be sub-mitted for up to 30 CLE credits. Free CLE is
available to all attorneys practicing in the counties served by Legal
Action who make a commitment to serve Legal Action clients through
direct representation or intake activities.
For more information and to register, visit Badgerlaw.net. Advance registration is
required.
AG debate at Bar Center Oct. 25
The State Bar, WisPolitics.com, the Wisconsin State Journal,
and the Wisconsin Law Journal will cosponsor a debate between
Democratic candidate Kathleen Falk and Republican candidate J.B. Van
Hollen, the two major-party candidates for attorney general. The debate,
scheduled for Oct. 25, at 6:30 p.m. at the State Bar Center in Madison,
will be preceded by a reception beginning at 5:30 p.m. Space is limited
and tickets are required for this free event.
For tickets, contact Lisa Roys,
State Bar Director of Public Affairs at (608) 250-6128, (800) 444-9404,
ext. 6128.
Records Management Committee updates and
releases 61 forms
As of Aug. 4, 2006, the Wisconsin Records Management Committee has
updated and introduced the following forms Key: New (N)/Revised (R)
Civil
CV-408 Order Extending Time for Hearing (R)
CV-412 Petition for Temporary Restraining Order (R)
Criminal
CR-215 Probable Cause Statement & Judicial Determination (R)
CR-218 Ineligible Voting Notice & Acknowledgement (N)
CV-405 Petition in Civil Court for TRO & Injunction (Harassment)
(R)
Family
FA-4104 Summons with Minor Children (R)
FA-4105 Summons without Minor Children (R)
FA-4122 Publications Summons (R)
FA-4128 Order to Show Cause & Affidavit for Temporary Order with
Minor (R)
FA-4129 Order to Show Cause & Affidavit for Temporary
Order without Minor (R)
FA-4130 Motion for & Notice of New (DeNovo) Hearing (R)
FA-4132 Request for Status Conference (R)
FA-4136 Petition for Appointment of Guardian ad Litem (R)
FA-4142 Order to Appear (R)
FA-4170 Notice of Motion & Motion to: Change Legal Custody; Physical
Placement; Child Support; Spousal Maintenance; Other (N)
FA-4171 Order to Show Cause & Affidavit (N)
FA-4172 Order to Show Cause & Affidavit for Finding of Contempt
(N)
FA-4175 Decision & Order on Motion or OTSC (N)
FA-4176 Decision & Order for Contempt (N)
FA-5008 Instruction Sheet - Modification (N)
FA-5009 Instruction Sheet - Comtempt (N)
FA-5010 Instruction Sheet - Stipulation & Order to Amend Judgment
w/Arrears (N)
Juvenile*
JD-1793 Order for Change of Placement (In Home to In Home Placement
Only) (N)
Small Claims
SC-500 Summons & Complaint (R)
Forms and summaries are
available in PDF or MS Word format. For more information, contact Terri Borrud at (608)
266-7143.
*Thirty-seven juvenile forms were updated. Due to space limitations
they are not listed. Visit www.wisbar.org/forms for the
complete list.
Wisconsin
Lawyer
