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After the JD: Careers Seven Years Out of Law School

The experiences of Wisconsin lawyers seem to track those of participants in a national study looking at the careers of more than 5,000 lawyers admitted to the bar in the year 2000. The first two parts of the three-phase study surveyed participants when they were three and seven years into their careers. The third phase will be complete in 2012.

Challenging the Admission of Forensic Evidence

A national study of our nation’s crime labs and the scientific validity of several commonly used forensic science disciplines questions the basis for several different forensic science disciplines. Attorneys must continue to press trial courts to be more active gatekeepers by challenging the underlying premise of forensic evidence, because oftentimes science does not support analysts’ testimony.

Business Records and Self-authentication: Together at Last

Wisconsin’s rules of evidence governing the admission of domestic and foreign business records allow for the admission of certified business records through self-authenticating declarations in certain circumstances. Learn how applying the rules can save parties substantial expense and inconvenience.

Opinions, Voices & Ideas

Inside the Bar
Protecting Democracy
Join hundreds of your peers in any of several State Bar law-related education projects to help educate citizens about how our system of government of works.

President’s Message
Fresh Faces
Young people give an organization new energy, new ideas, and new technologies, and serve as its future leaders. The State Bar thrives when new and young members get involved.

Ethics
Determining “Directly Adverse” Representation
The concept of “directly adverse” applies when addressing a concurrent conflict of interest and when a lawyer is considering whether to ask a client for a waiver of a conflict of interest. Whether these interests are directly adverse highly depends on the nature and circumstances of the different representations. The State Bar’s Ethics Hotline can help you determine if a conflict of interest exists.

Viewpoint
Sentencing Options: Why restrict judges?
Wisconsin’s criminal justice system and Wisconsin residents would be better served if judges could choose between indeterminate and determinate sentences, depending on the seriousness of the offense and the offender’s history and likely ability to be rehabilitated.

Managing Risk
Lawyers Can Get Scammed, Too
Some lawyers have fallen victim to recent email scams. Don’t be the next victim. Learn the warning signs of fraud, practice a healthy skepticism, and verify who you’re dealing with. When in doubt, don’t reply!