Wisconsin Lawyer: Inside the Bar: LUST, SOX, 7 Deadly Sins, Rambo, and the Death Penalty:

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April 05, 2007

Inside the Bar: LUST, SOX, 7 Deadly Sins, Rambo, and the Death Penalty

The 2007 State Bar Annual Convention promises substantive programming, discussion of critical issues covered in today's headlines, opportunities to socialize, and more.

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by George C. Brown, executive director

George Brown

OK, so the headline is a cheap way of getting your attention. You need to know that this year's State Bar convention features substantive programming that will benefit your practice, from issues you've seen in today's headlines to the new ethics rules and recent changes in the law, to making your practice more effective.

Wednesday, May 9. The convention kicks off on Wednesday with a members lunch recognizing lawyers who have been in practice for 50 years, followed by substantive programs on the new pension laws, land transactions dealing with aboveground and underground storage tanks (LUST), predatory lending, the Sarbannes-Oxley Act (SOX), escheat laws, dealing with abducted children, and the seven deadly sins of planning for retirement distributions.

Thursday, May 10. We have Judge Frank Easterbrook, chief judge of the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, as our guest speaker during lunch on Thursday, May 10. He will be preceded by Duke Law School Professor Erwin Chemerinsky's discussion on recent death penalty trends and a panel discussion led by Judge William Bauer of the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, in a program jointly sponsored by the Appellate and Criminal Law sections.

The Elder Law Section will spend much of its program on the issues of assessment of older adults who have diminished capacity and guardianship reform. The Government Lawyers Division will give you a preview of the newly elected supreme court justice, an opportunity to say farewell to Justice Wilcox, and a better understanding of the three agencies that govern lawyers' professional lives, the Office of Lawyer Regulation, the Board of Bar Examiners, and the Commissioners Office of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. You also can pick up substantive information on appellate mediation and learn why lawyers and mediators hate mediation.

That same day, you can wake up to an early morning dose of caffeine and an overview of the new ethics rules, then later learn in detail how to deal with the new ethics rules or develop an understanding of environmental law in Indian Country, deal with Rambo litigators, or create a presence on the Web. On Thursday evening you can listen to "Clarence Darrow" recount the greatest trials in his career.

Friday, May 11. Friday starts off with a special program sponsored by the Young Lawyers Division on the issue of enemy combatants and the legal situation at Guantanamo Bay, followed by programs on the status of the USA Patriot Act and two programs on juveniles in the world today - one on brain development and the juvenile justice system and one on child sexual assault issues. More practice setting and management issues are explored, from women of color in law firms to marketing to retirement planning for yourself.

Throughout the convention, the Legal Expo will present you with some of the latest products and services for you and your practice. And finally, you can wind up your convention by knocking the rust off your clubs at the inaugural Wisconsin Law Foundation golf tournament on the last afternoon of convention.

So join us in Milwaukee for substantive education, meeting old and new friends, and some relaxation with colleagues from across the state and across the country. Hope to see you there.

Wisconsin Lawyer