WILMIC Board Of Directors Elections, Annual Policyholder Meeting Scheduled
The WILMIC Annual Meeting of Policyholders will be held on June 5, 2020. Candidates for four seats on the Board of Directors will be elected.
WILMIC Director Stepping Down After Ten Years On WILMIC Board
Atty. Noreen Parrett, of Parrett Law, LLC in Madison, is stepping down from the WILMIC board after her term expires in June. Parrett joined the board in 2010.
Maintaining Client Contact During This Health Crisis
Take a moment to check in with your clients to update them on their case and to see how they are doing. It is not just good customer service to do so, there very well may be things going on in your client’s life as a result of the ongoing pandemic, that neither of you were expecting when you were retained.
WI Supreme Court Restores Attorney Ghostwriting Rule For Pro Se Parties
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has reinstated an old rule it had originally adopted in 2014. It was then that the Court adopted the attorney ghostwriting rule to encourage attorneys to provide low-cost legal services to otherwise self-representing litigants.
Under the rule, attorneys were allowed to draft or assist in drafting a pleading, motion or document filed by a self-represented litigant without signing it. The document simply had to indicate that it was “prepared with the assistance of a lawyer.”
In 2018, the legislature modified the 2014 ghostwriting rule to require lawyers to identify their names and bar numbers on the documents. That will no longer be required.
Milwaukee attorney Diane Diel, a former State Bar of Wisconsin President and pictured right, says the reinstatement of the ghostwriting provisions adopted in 2014 is a welcome development.
“It really helps Wisconsin lawyers to assist self-represented litigants prepare pleadings, motions or other court documents anonymously. Wisconsin lawyers want to help address the access to justice gap and ghostwriting was a thoroughly studied, well-researched idea that worked extremely well. It was hard to see the decline in numbers of volunteers after the change by the legislature. It is refreshing to have ghostwriting restored as a more available tool for those who cannot afford representation.”
The restored rule takes effect July 1, 2020.
- Full Court Order (PDF)
U.W. Law Student Jenny Kumosz Wins Annual WILMIC Award
University of Wisconsin Law student, Jenny Kumosz, who just finished her second year at UW, is this year’s winner of the annual WILMIC professional responsibility award.
2019 WILMIC Annual Report Now Available
SUCCESS IS AN ELUSIVE CONCEPT.
That said, what does success look like for Wisconsin Lawyers Mutual? It’s a fair question and a good one as we recap 2019 and look ahead to what’s next.
WI Supreme Court Issues New COVID-19 Related Orders
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has issued orders concerning remote witnessing of certain estate planning documents and remote depositions during the covid-19 public health emergency.
WI Supreme Court Chief Justice Forms COVID-19 Task Force
Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Patience Roggensack has formed a COVID-19 task force to focus on ways state courts can continue operating safely during the current coronavirus pandemic.
COVID-19 Business & Legal Updates
WILMIC is closely monitoring the impact of the COVID-19 health emergency on the Badger State’s business and legal community. Here are some recent developments.
WILMIC Temporarily Waiving Finance Fees
To provide at least a little bit of help during this difficult time, WILMIC is waiving all future finance fees on your policy premium through December 31, 2020.