Vol. 73, No. 11, November
2000
Lawyer Discipline
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The Office
of Lawyer Regulation (formerly known as the Board of Attorneys
Professional Responsibility), an agency of the Wisconsin
Supreme Court and component of the lawyer regulation system, assists the
court in carrying out its constitutional responsibility to supervise the
practice of law and protect the public from misconduct by persons
practicing law in Wisconsin. The Office of Lawyer
Regulation has offices located at Suite 315, 110 E. Main St., Madison,
WI 53703, and Suite 300, 342 N. Water St., Milwaukee, WI 53202.
Toll-free telephone: (877) 315-6941.
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Public Reprimand of Jack C. Hoag
Jack C. Hoag, 48, Janesville, has been publicly reprimanded by the
Office of Lawyer Regulation (formerly the Board of Attorneys
Professional Responsibility) for failing to communicate with a client.
Hoag represented a man on an appeal of the man's commitment as a
sexually violent person. The notice of appeal was filed subsequent to
the applicable civil appeal deadline. The court of appeals raised the
issue of timeliness, and directed the appellant to file a memorandum on
that issue. Hoag filed such a memorandum. The court of appeals dismissed
the appeal as having been untimely filed. Hoag then withdrew. Contrary
to SCR 20:1.4(a), Hoag failed to inform his client that the court of
appeals had raised the timeliness issue; that the matter was briefed;
that the court of appeals had acted to dismiss the appeal; and that Hoag
would then be withdrawing as counsel in the matter. The client learned
of the dismissal from a fellow inmate who came across the client's case
while doing legal research. Hoag had previously received two private
reprimands, in 1995 and 1997.
Wisconsin Lawyer
