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Features

Green Development Opportunities and Risks

"Going green" is an increasingly popular building protocol, with more governmental units offering tax or capital incentives to more developers in more municipalities. Lawyers well-versed in the green building protocol can help clients articulate their motivation for going green, identify the opportunities and benefits, and suggest creative solutions to minimize the significant risks inherent in green development.

Compensating Key Employees of Small and Mid-size Businesses

Employers must find creative and effective ways to keep and motivate top employees, which can be especially challenging during an economic downturn when bonus dollars may be tight. Here are some practical methods – and their compensation compliance issues – that attorneys can discuss with the business clients.

Go Team! Wisconsin’s Latest Recreational Immunity Controversy

Wisconsin’s recreational immunity laws took an interesting tumble when the supreme court ruled in Noffke v. Bakke that cheerleading is a contact sport for purposes of immunizing participants from negligence actions.

Opinions, Voices & Ideas

Inside the Bar
Fresh Paint
A fresh coat of paint goes a long way, but curb appeal alone only gets you so far. The State Bar’s redesigned Web site is crisp and fresh, and the content is more accessible and easier to use.

President’s Message
Ending with a Good Start
A year is too short to accomplish big goals, but together we’ve taken giant steps in new directions to provide access to justice, to get the facts to have a reasoned conversation about our status as an integrated bar, to address judicial election issues, and even to save a few trees.

Editorial
Gideon’s New Trumpet
The right to counsel in civil cases is necessary to make equal justice under law a reality and to improve the performance of the justice system so that everyone benefits. It’s time for a serious discussion about this issue, here’s a beginning.

Ethics
Duties Owed to Vanished Client
Even if your client has disappeared as through a magician’s vanishing chamber, you still must zealously represent the client’s interest. You also must take reasonable steps to locate the client. Simply waving a magic wand is not one of them.

What Keeps You Awake at Night?
What factors should I consider in trying to decide if I should remain in a mid-sized law firm or start my own small practice?

Legal Writing
Less is More: Conciseness in Legal Writing
Clear, concise communication is especially important in legal matters. So write tight. Here’s how.