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The Unattainable High of the Marijuana Industry

Several states have legalized the recreational or medical use of marijuana and their treasuries are seeing the benefits. Wisconsin is not one of them, yet. Federal law still criminalizes use of marijuana. Lawyers representing marijuana-related businesses must navigate conflicting state and federal laws to help their clients operate legally and reach full commercial potential.

By Danielle Scott Grant-Keane

Hearsay Problems at Unemployment Insurance Hearings

Thousands of disputes are resolved in administrative hearings, and relaxed rules generally apply to them. But some of the rules are not so much relaxed as merely different, and they might trip up parties and lawyers who appear at hearings with an anything-goes mindset. One potentially confusing procedure concerns the admissibility of hearsay evidence in unemployment insurance hearings.

By Charles Schaefer

Respecting Others’ Privileged Information: Lawyers’ Obligations to Third Persons

SCR 20:4.4 governs lawyers’ behaviors and obligations when they receive a document or electronically stored information that was inadvertently sent. Read about the types of behavior the rule proscribes, examples of cases in which lawyers have been sanctioned, and a new provision that directs lawyers how to respond if they receive privileged information or work product.

By Aviva Meridian Kaiser

The Post-lawyer Law Firm
The Legal Industry’s Rise of Productivity Engines

Tomorrow’s law firm “engine room” is not comprised of collected lawyers, but of collected legal expertise, applied to client needs through the innovative use of systems, processes, technology, and expert professionals.

By Jordan Furlong

Opinions, Voices & Ideas

President's Message
Devoted to Equal Justice
Lawyers working for legal services organizations are doing the hard work needed to achieve equal justice. But now, Fran Deisinger says, they face the prospect of lost federal funding.

Your State Bar
Unintended Consequences
George Brown says technological and social developments might take today’s lawyers on previously unanticipated professional paths.

As I See It
Following Alaska's Lead: A Wisconsin Pet Custody Statute
Christopher Krimmer says a pet custody statute would provide courts and parties to a divorce with a clear legal standard – such as Alaska’s “well being of the pet” standard – of how to best recognize the special relationship that pets play in our families.

Marketing
Time to Get a .Law Domain? Hold on There …
Larry Bodine says web marketing experts see no real benefit for law firms in getting a .law domain.

On Balance
Six Ways to Reduce Employee Burnout
Paula Davis-Laack provides six organizational-directed approaches law firm leaders should focus on to reduce burnout and build well-being.

Technology
So, You Want To … Know How to Sign Documents Electronically
Tison Rhine presents the easiest ways to bring e-signing to your law practice.

Ethics
Conflicts of Interest: Revealing Client’s Name Permitted in Limited Circumstances
Dean Dietrich says a lawyer may reveal a client’s name to determine if a conflict of interest exists, but the parameters for disclosure are narrow.

Final Thought
Honoring Those Who Defend
Public defenders are often criticized and rarely thanked, says Nick Chiarkas, but the work they do to represent accused individuals helps everyone by protecting constitutional rights.