MessengerSpring 2013 z Volume 1 TThehe SSecondecond AAnnualnnual MMilwaukeeilwaukee JJusticeustice CCenterenter CCampaignampaign MMarcharch 111-22,1-22, 20132013 PERMIT NO. 3207 NO. PERMIT MILWAUKEE, WI MILWAUKEE, Milwaukee, WI 53202-3746 WI Milwaukee, PAID 424 E. Wells St. Wells E. 424 U.S. POSTAGE U.S. Milwaukee Bar Association Bar Milwaukee PRSRT STD PRSRT Messenger 1 Regular Features Contents 4 Letter From the Editor Spring 2013 • Volume 1 5 Volunteer Spotlight In This Issue: 5 Member News 6 Message From the President 5 Needed: Law Day Volunteers 7 CLE Calendar 8 March of Dimes Addresses Problem of Babies Born Too Soon and Too Small in Wisconsin by Attorney Jennifer Peterson, Media Counsel & Deputy General Counsel, Journal 8 New Members Communications, Inc. 11 Th e Reel Law 9 Adventures in Professional Self-Improvement: the Destination CLE by Attorney Douglas H. Frazer, DeWitt Ross & Stevens Be Part of the Messenger 10 Th e Role of a Special Master in Complex Civil Litigation Please send your articles, editorials, by Honorable Michael J. Skwierawski, Milwaukee County Circuit Court (Retired) or anecdotes to [email protected] or mail them to Editor, Milwaukee 12 Judges Night 2013 Bar Association, 424 East Wells Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202. We look forward 14 Photo ID Status Update: Injunctions Continue for 2013 Spring Elections to hearing from you! by Attorney Richard Saks, Hawks Quindel If you would like to participate, we 15 Act 10: What Was, What Is, and What (Maybe) Is to Come have seats available on the Messenger by Paul Jonas, Marquette University Law School (Candidate for J.D., 2013) Committee. Please contact James Temmer, [email protected]. 17 Ahead of Her Time: Wisconsin Legal Pioneer Charlotte Bleistein Championed Precursor to Milwaukee Justice Center by Attorney Hannah C. Dugan 18 Th e Turtle Arrives by Honorable Richard J. Sankovitz, Milwaukee County Circuit Court 18 MBA Seeks Candidates for Offi ce and Award Nominations 18 Milwaukee Justice Center Build-Out Gets Underway Th e MBA Messenger is published by Justin Metzger, Milwaukee Justice Center quarterly by the Milwaukee Bar Association, Inc., 424 East Wells Street, 19 Helping Our Heroes: the Promise of Milwaukee’s Veteran’s Treatment Initiative Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202. by Attorney J.C. Moore, Attorney Supervisor, State Public Defender, Milwaukee Trial Offi ce; Telephone: 414-274-6760 Attorney Jeff rey J. Altenburg, Deputy District Attorney, Milwaukee County District Attorney’s E-mail: [email protected] Offi ce; and Honorable Glenn H. Yamahiro, Milwaukee County Circuit Court Th e opinions stated herein are not necessarily those of the Milwaukee Bar 20 MBA Memorial Service Association, Inc., or any of its directors, offi cers, or employees. Th e information 20 MBA Hosts Judicial Forums for Supreme Court and Circuit Court Primaries presented in this publication should not be construed as formal legal advice 20 Th ird Annual MBA Girl Scout Workshop or the formation of a lawyer-client relationship. All manuscripts submitted 23 Succession Planning: for Whom the Bell Tolls will be reviewed for possible publication. by Michael Moore, Moore’s Law Th e editors reserve the right to edit all material for style and length. Advertising and general information concerning this publication are available from Britt Wegner, telephone 414-276-5931. Messenger 3 MBA Board of Letter From the Editor Directors and Staff instead of three, as well as an outsized fi rst Charles H. Barr, President letter, at the beginning of some articles—you Beth E. Hanan, President-Elect know, like a real magazine, the kind people actually read. If all this letting down of hair David G. Peterson, Vice President doesn’t exactly rock your world, we hope it Patricia A. Hintz, Secretary/Treasurer doesn’t off end you overmuch, either. Michael J. Cohen, Past President Stylistic and photographic conceits aside, the Messenger delivers plenty of content this Directors time. We have updates on how the courts Shannon A. Allen have responded to two hot-button pieces of Friebert, Finerty & St. John Wisconsin legislation: Act 10, which limits the collective bargaining rights of most public Marcia F. Drame employees; and Act 23, the voter identifi cation Northwestern Mutual law. We learn about the Milwaukee County Honorable Timothy G. Dugan Veterans’ Treatment Initiative, a progressive, Milwaukee County Circuit Court court-based program to address the unique Th omas M. Hruz needs of veterans involved in the criminal Meissner, Tierney, Fisher & Nichols justice system. Former Chief Judge Mike Skwierawski describes the benefi ts of a special Maria L. Kreiter Charles Barr, Editor master in complex civil cases. Godfrey & Kahn kay, look, even I tire of seeing the same As for our regular contributors, it’s all hands Susan E. Lovern faux-lawyerly photo every time I read on deck. Resident legal historian Hannah von Briesen & Roper Othe galley proof for this column. I can Dugan writes about the Voluntary Defenders Th omas H. Reed only imagine that goes tenfold for you, dear Program, an early precursor of the Milwaukee State Public Defender, Milwaukee Criminal readers. Ergo, I combed our vast archives and Justice Center, and the pioneering attorney Trial Offi ce came up with something diff erent. It’s still who helped get the program off the ground. me—alas, some things never change—but in a Judge Rick Sankovitz extols the virtues of Honorable Maxine Aldridge White slightly diff erent pose: to-wit (or, should I say, electronic fi ling, which has fi nally come to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court to-half-wit), scientifi cally testing the bounce Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Doug Frazer Andrew J. Wronski factor of a particular variety of Florida turf shows us how to get the most bang for our Foley & Lardner known as “right fi eld.” Th e plausible point CLE buck on the road. And cinematic guru of the pictured pratfall is to evoke the image Fran Deisinger uncovers yet another classic MBA Staff of spring, which is right around the corner. courtroom drama in Th e Reel Law. Although here in Cheeseland that can be James D. Temmer, Executive Director one hell of a long corner. Nevertheless, hope We hope you enjoy this edition of the Messenger. As long as you’re stuck indoors Katy Borowski, Director of Projects springs eternal, as they say, even as we wait eternally for spring actually to arrive. waiting for spring, why not drop us a line, or Sabrina Nunley, Director of Continuing an article? Anyway, as you gaze wistfully out Legal Education Since spring is a time of renewal, the the window at some sullen “wintry mix,” take Dorothy Protz, Accountant Messenger has indulged in a modest stylistic heart: somewhere, thousands of miles away, pitchers and catchers have reported. (And yes, Molly Staab, Offi ce Manager facelift . Gone is right-hand justifi cation, and in its place is the “ragged right.” No, that doesn’t I caught the ball.) Britt Wegner, Director, Lawyer Referral & refer to the Tea Party. It refers to the right- —C.B. Information Service Photo courtesy of Jeff Whitney, Jeff Whitney hand side of a typeset column. Th e right-hand Photography, wwwjeff whitneyphotography.com. justifi cation refl ected the implicit assumption Milwaukee Justice Center Staff that our readers are, in the main, orderly left -brained thinkers rather than bohemian Calendar of Events Dawn Caldart, Executive Director artistes. Last year, however, we resolved to test April 25 Mary Ferwerda, Legal Volunteer Supervisor this theory with a broad-ranging, statistically EDWBA Annual Meeting Ayame Metzger, Legal Director valid survey. As it turned out—such is the fate of so many resolutions—our survey May 3 population totaled two: my wife and my Memorial Service Contact Information ex-law partner, which, incidentally, is better Milwaukee Bar Association, Inc. May 4 than the other way around. Lo and behold, Law Day 424 East Wells Street both these highly analytical lawyers favored Milwaukee, WI 53202 the ragged right. So there you have it. We also June 11 Phone: 414-274-6760 switched the font style to something a little MBA Annual Meeting Fax: 414-274-6765 less buttoned up, and reduced the font size. www.milwbar.org August 6 And you might see two columns or even one, MBA Golf Outing 4 Spring 2013 important aspect of this volunteer program is that it gives clients an understanding of the Volunteer Spotlight legal issues relevant in their cases and a sense of relief that they will enter the big, foreboding Jan Bruce Eder guardianship, name change, and other topics courthouse and courtroom with a new-found as they arise. sense of confi dence.” an Eder retired June 1, 2012, aft er a distinguished career of more than 22 Jan fi nds his volunteer work at the MJC “very On January 24, the Judiciary, Safety and Jyears as Legal Counsel with Milwaukee rewarding aft er every consultation, especially General Services Committee of the Milwaukee County Child Support Services. Jan’s special receiving the ‘thank you’s’ from the clients County Board of Supervisors specially area of concentration was probate-related child and knowing I’ve assisted them. It’s not only recognized Jan, not only for his decades of support issues. the legal advice that is important to them; it’s service at County Child Support Services, but also telling them what to expect, helping them also for his volunteer work at the Milwaukee His desk chair at CSS was still warm when he navigate the system, and putting the fi nishing Justice Center. To that accolade, the MBA adds began volunteering at the Milwaukee Justice touches on their legal documents.” its commendation to Jan for continuing to Center. Jan is there every Th ursday and Friday embody the spirit of public service.