Supreme court needs volunteers to serve on new Ethics Committee and various other committees and boards

June 25, 2002

The Wisconsin Supreme Court is seeking lawyers and nonlawyers for a new Ethics Committee that will review lawyer ethics recommendations from the ABA and determine whether Wisconsin should adopt them in whole or in part. Appointments to the Ethics Committee will be made in the fall.

The ABA created the Ethics 2000 Commission in 1997 to undertake the first comprehensive review of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct since they were adopted in 1983. The rules cover issues such as whether lawyers should be allowed to practice beyond jurisdictions in which they are licensed, whether a lawyer should ever be able to reveal information about a client, and what constitutes a conflict of interest.

Now that the ABA is wrapping up its work on the model rules, work will begin in Wisconsin and in many other states where professional conduct codes for lawyers generally track the model rules. In Wisconsin, ethics rules for lawyers are set out in Chapter 20 of the Supreme Court Rules, the Rules of Professional Conduct for Attorneys. Currently, Chapter 20 closely follows the ABA model rules. The new Ethics Committee will determine whether, and how, Chapter 20 might be revised to reflect the updated model rules and will present its recommendations to the state supreme court.

Lawyers and nonlawyers interested in serving on the new committee should send a letter and resume to:

Cornelia Clark,
Clerk of the Supreme Court,
P.O. Box 1688; Madison,
WI 53701-1688
email cornelia.clark@courts.state.wi.us;

or fax to Clark's attention at: (608) 267-0640.

Applicants also should indicate if they are interested in being considered for openings on other supreme court boards or committees including: the Board of Administrative Oversight; Board of Bar Examiners; District committees; Fee Arbitration Study Committee; Judicial Commission; Judicial Conduct Advisory Committee; Special Investigator Panel; Preliminary Review Committee; Referee Panel; or State Bar of Wisconsin Board of Governors public member.