Inside the Bar
Alphabet Soup Convention
by George C. Brown,
State Bar executive director
DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION, PRESIDENT Franklin
Roosevelt created several programs and federal agencies to bring the
nation out of its economic crisis: the NRA, WPA, and the CCC were just a
few of them. These efforts changed the federal government's role in the
lives of the states and the people down to the present day.
Some argue that the legal profession is facing crises today that will
forever change the face of the profession. These issues are represented
by an alphabet soup of titles not seen since the Roosevelt
administration: DNA, MDP, MJP, and UPL. At the State Bar Annual
Convention in May, you will have an opportunity to learn about these
issues and others that will have an impact on how you practice law in
the future.
DNA Evidence. We all know what it is and how it has
been used to convict and free people charged with crimes. At the
presidential showcase program on Thursday, May 3, nationally acclaimed
DNA experts Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld will look deeper into issues
behind DNA testing. (Please see the articles on the U.W.'s Innocence
Project and our new genetic world in this issue.)
MDP, MJP, UPL. These are some of the issues
contained in the "gargantuan" resolution facing the State Bar Board of
Governors at its May 4-5 meeting. The potential creation of
multidisciplinary practice (MDP), the rise of multijurisdictional
practice (MJP), and the relative inability to enforce the unauthorized
practice of law (UPL) statutes will be among the topics discussed during
the Friday, May 4, presidential showcase program, "Seize the Future."
Led by State Bar President Gary Bakke, the panelists include Harry
Ruffalo, a U.W. Law School adjunct professor who helped Arthur Anderson
establish its legal practice.
Other three-letter acronyms also abound at the convention. The
Business Law and the Bankruptcy Law sections each will explain the
impact of the revised UCC Article 9 on their practice areas; the ADR
Section will help prepare you for mediation and the new collaborative
family law process; and the Law Practice Section will look at the
changes in law practice caused by MDP and MJP.
You will find best practice tips on risk avoidance, efficiency, and
family law issues; instruction on a variety of litigation topics; and
updates on legislation in numerous practice areas.
Technology impact is everywhere these days. There will be programs
ranging from the law of international e-commerce to how to use
Internet-based legal research and the effective use of technology in
your practice.
The business of the State Bar will be everywhere. Section and
division boards and committees will be meeting throughout the
convention. Thursday, Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson will swear in
President-elect Gerry Mowris as the 46th president of the State Bar at a
reception for all convention attendees. And on Friday, the Members'
Recognition luncheon will honor 105 State Bar members for their 50 years
of service to the profession.
There's a lot going on at this year's Annual Convention that can
impact the practice of law. I hope to see you there.
Wisconsin Lawyer
