F.Y.I.

New group to help law enforcement officers interested in law careers

Current or former law enforcement officers attending law school now can join an organization that recognizes how unique their experiences and backgrounds are to the legal profession.

The Badge and Gavel Society, a nonprofit, fraternal organization of current State Bar of Wisconsin members, seeks charter members. The society assists current and former law enforcement officers interested in law careers by providing mentors and tutors, as well as information about the local job market and opportunities for clerkships during law school. It also assists in finding full-time jobs after graduation, providing emotional and practical support, and granting scholarships to qualified law students who are current or former law enforcement officers.

The society formed in March 1994 in Florida as a result of the increasing number of law enforcement officers attending law school and seeking careers as attorneys. The society currently has chapters in New York, California and, shortly, Wisconsin.

Individuals interested in becoming a Badge and Gavel Society charter member should contact Michael P. Russart at Hinshaw and Culbertson, (414) 276-6464, or Michael G. Tobin, Milwaukee City Attorney's Office, (414) 286-2601.

Wisconsin Supreme Court experiments
with paragraph numbering

The Wisconsin Supreme Court is numbering paragraphs in the opinions it releases. According to the court, the paragraph numbering is experimental, and lawyers are not to use these numbers when citing cases. This procedure is subject to the court's modification or termination without notice.

Clerk's office moves but has same phone number

On Sept. 23, 1996, the Clerk's office for the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Court of Appeals moved to 110 E. Main St, Suite 715, Madison, WI 53703. However, its telephone number remains the same - (608) 266-1880. Note this change on page 466 of the 1997 Wisconsin Lawyer Directory.

Other changes to the directory include the telephone numbers for three Columbia County judges. Hon. Daniel George's number is (608) 742-9619; Hon. Lewis Charles' number is (608) 742-9632; and Hon. Richard Rehm's phone number is (608) 742-9633. Under Corporation Counsel, Donald Peterson's number is (608) 742-2191.

Study proves lawyers leaping onto the Net

Some 500,000 (52 percent) lawyers now use computers to access the Internet for email, research and marketing according to a recently released survey.

The Internet Lawyer - Microsoft Corporation Survey found that the majority of legal professionals use small local access companies. Thirty-two percent use local Internet service providers, while 18 percent use America Online and 6 percent use Counsel Connect, the proprietary online communication service for lawyers.

Perhaps the most anticipated study results relate to how often the Internet is used for legal research purposes. Since 1975 Lexis-Nexis and WestLaw have dominated the computer-assisted legal research industry. Recent technologies, including CD-ROM and the Internet, however, have eroded the market penetration of these two large online services.

The study indicates that, overall, 72 percent of legal professionals (54 percent of which are lawyers) use the Internet for legal research. Federal information is the most commonly accessed legal material. Forty-eight percent of respondents are using the Net to retrieve federal court opinions, statutes and regulations. State legal materials are accessed by 34 percent of those who use the Net for legal research.

Many legal professionals who use the Net for research are not looking for traditional legal materials like court opinions and state codes, but instead are searching for information. They use the Net to find missing people, to investigate trademark infringement or to conduct medical research. Forty-four percent of those using the Net for research are conducting company research.

The survey was sponsored by GoAhead Productions, publisher of Internet Lawyer newsletter, in conjunction with the Microsoft Corporation.