Wisconsin Lawyer
Vol. 76, No. 9, September
2003
Our Editorial Board
Present and former Communications Committee members (from left)
Marna M. Tess-Mattner, Elizabeth M. Estes, James D. Peterson (chair),
Alyson K. Zierdt, and Francisco Araiza represent the 14-member WL
editorial board. (See page 69 for a complete roster.) The editorial
board provides critical peer review of substantive articles, evaluates
reader feedback, and recommends editorial and advertising policy.
The Communications Committee, which
serves as the editorial advisory board, plays an invaluable role in
producing the Wisconsin Lawyer. Today, it
includes 12 lawyers with diverse practice experiences, one public
member, and a Board of Governors' liaison. Members may serve for up to
two consecutive three-year terms, bringing needed continuity to the
editorial board's work while allowing for the infusion of fresh
perspective.
Because the editorial board plays such a key role in
shaping the magazine's direction, the Communications Committee "made a
conscious effort over the years to increase diversity on the committee
in all aspects - geographical, firm size, practice emphasis, as well as
ethnicity and gender," says Alyson Zierdt, a former member of the
editorial board. That effort, she adds, assures that different
perspectives are brought into the review process and other editorial
board decisions.
Each month, the editorial advisory board reviews
substantive articles and proposed articles submitted to the editorial
staff. It rates articles on their timeliness, practical application,
readability, originality, and general reader appeal. Editorial board
members recommend whether to accept or reject the article, or request
further revision prior to publication. "The editorial board provides an
important link between readers and the editorial staff," notes editor
Joyce Hastings. "The editorial board gives us insight into the practical
issues the profession is facing. The peer review system lends needed
credibility to the magazine and ensures that it is more than the
association's mouthpiece."
Wisconsin
Lawyer
