Wisconsinites need to understand that a neutral, fair, and impartial justice system is vital to the health of our state. Consider volunteering to tell your fellow citizens about it.
“The Our Courts Wisconsin program is an opportunity for the courts to tell the tale from the inside,” says Judge Edward Leineweber, Our Courts Speaker Subcommittee chair.
Nov. 21, 2012 – The State Bar Public Outreach Committee is launching Our Courts Wisconsin, a new program aimed at educating the public about the courts and the legal system. According to volunteers, the judicial branch of government is misunderstood, misrepresented, and mistrusted due to limited understanding about the values and rules under which courts operate.
“Judges and lawyers are operating the court system in a very fair, even handed, effective way, and that’s a story that just doesn’t get told very frequently,” said Judge Edward Leineweber, Our Courts Speaker Subcommittee chair. “The Our Courts Wisconsin program is an opportunity for the courts to tell the tale from the inside.”
Our Courts Wisconsin is overseen by a multidisciplinary Executive Advisory Committee and chaired by Vilas County Circuit Court Judge Neal A. Nielsen III. Volunteer lawyers and judges are already working to develop programs and establish marketing strategies.
“It truly is the Bar and the Bench volunteering to help tell a story,” said Leineweber.
About Our Courts
Colorado Court of Appeals Judge Russell Carparelli founded the Our Courts program with U.S. District Court Judge Marcia Krieger in 2007. To date, volunteer attorneys and judges have made more than 350 presentations to over 11,000 people. Judge Carparelli is assisting Wisconsin lawyers and judges to develop a similar program in Wisconsin.
Get Involved
For more information or to get involved, email Marsha Varvil-Weld, State Bar Public Education coordinator or call (608) 250-6191.
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