Wisconsin Lawyer: Wisconsin Lawyer November 2000: Charting the Bar's Direction 2:

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November 01, 2000

Wisconsin Lawyer November 2000: Charting the Bar's Direction 2

Increase public understanding of citizens' legal rights and responsibilities

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2000 Annual Report

1. Increase and diversify participation in Bar activities.

2. Increase public understanding of citizens' legal rights and responsibilities.

3. Enhance public understanding of the administration of justice.

4. Improve access to justice.

5. Improve member education that is responsive to changing member needs.

6. Improve member service that is responsive to changing member needs.

7. Use technology to improve education, communication, member services, cost-effective access to legal resources, and effective management.

8. Evaluate and improve our own governance and administration to best effectuate our mission.

9. Advocate for the integrity and effectiveness of the legal profession.

10. Support and promote attorneys as problem solvers.

The State Bar is committed to educating the public about the legal system, reaching the public through numerous law-related education activities, consumer publications, and Internet legal resources. These ongoing efforts reach thousands of Wisconsin residents, making them better legal consumers. FY00 featured a special Law Day effort that focused on increasing the public's understanding of their rights regarding health care - Life Planning 2000.

The Life Planning 2000 program takes off. The collaborative effort between the State Bar, the State Medical Society of Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Health & Hospital Association to empower all Wisconsin adults to discuss and document their wishes for future health care had statewide impact.

Educational activities took place in nearly 50 communities, led by 75 local coordinators and hundreds of volunteers. The message reached the public via an advance care planning consumer guide entitled A Gift to Your Family, public service announcements, billboards, newspaper advertisements, and statewide media coverage. The Bar distributed 20,000 free consumer guides throughout the campaign and continues to distribute it through WisBar at www.wisbar.org/lifeplan.

The National Association of Transplant Surgeons honored the State Bar with a public service award recognizing its efforts to increase public understanding of advance care planning and organ and tissue donation. President Leonard Loeb, the Elder Law Section, and Local Bar Relations Committee were instrumental in organizing the efforts.

Teaching teachers about the court system. Teachers from across Wisconsin gathered in Madison in February to learn new ways to educate students about the legal system. The first-ever teachers' institute, "From the Courtroom to the Classroom," was a cooperative effort between the State Bar, the UW-Madison Department of Curriculum and Instruction, the Wisconsin Law Foundation, and the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Funding was provided through a grant from Youth for Justice, with additional support from the State Bar General Practice Section.

LegalExplorer.com hits cyberspace. The State Bar worked throughout FY00 to launch LegalExplorer.com, the new consumer Web site that debuted in July 2000. The service educates consumers about the law, government, and the legal profession, answers commonly asked legal questions, and provides links to valuable legal resources. The site has a searchable database of State Bar publications, videotapes, and programs for use in client education, law-related education, and community outreach efforts. The site also features an online lawyer referral service, making it easier for consumers to find a lawyer.

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