Attorney Tiffany Highstrom to present on the role of a guardian ad litem Attorney Tiffany Highstrom will present on the role of a guardian ad litem on Wednesday, May 8, during the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Guardian ad Litem Training 2024. As part of a panel, she will discuss tips for how to interview children; how to formulate your recommendation and abide by the rules of evidence; communicating the best wishes of the child to the court; conflicts and how to avoid them; overcoming the therapeutic privilege; and dealing with parents that are high conflict. Guardians ad litem for minors, family l ..read more

Overtime pay rules have gotten some updates. If you’re a salaried worker in the United States, there’s some important news you should know about the changes to overtime pay rules and eligibility. The US Department of Labor recently announced a final rule that will make millions more workers eligible for overtime pay. Here’s what you need to understand about these changes. What’s Changing? Under the new rule, the salary threshold for overtime eligibility is increasing. Currently set at $35,568 a year, or $684 per week, this threshold will rise to $43,888 annually (equivalent to $844 a week ..read more

In a 5-2 decision, the Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected the due process claims of a Milwaukee police officer who was terminated after posting offensive Facebook posts about then-Milwaukee Bucks basketball player Sterling Brown. May 2, 2024 – The Wisconsin Supreme Court has rejected the due process claims of a Milwaukee police officer whose employment was terminated after he posted offensive Facebook posts about then-Milwaukee Bucks basketball player Sterling Brown. In Andrade v. City of Milwaukee Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, 2024 WI 17 (April 30, 2024), the Wisconsin Supreme Court ..read more

It is very important that landlords that are using the landlord-tenant law rental documents/forms that I draft, and which are sold through Wisconsin Legal Blank (WLB), ensure that they are using the most current forms.  To aid you in determining if you are using the most current version, WLB just published the document below on their website, so that you know have one place to go to determine if your rental documents are up to date.  Please be assured that I don’t revise any of the WLB landlord-tenant forms just for the hell of it.  If I revise a rental form ..read more

McLaughlin v. Gaslight Pointe Condominium Association, LTD No. 2023AP1011 (Wis. Ct. App. Apr. 17, 2024) In McLaughlin v. Gaslight Pointe Condominium Association, LTD, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals contributed to Wisconsin’s ever-growing body of caselaw examining when an insured’s intentional conduct may constitute an “occurrence” within the meaning of a CGL policy. No. 2023AP1011 (Wis. Ct. App. Apr. 17, 2024) (recommended for publication). The court also examined several exclusions commonly found in CGL policies. In brief, the facts of the case are as follows. Several condominium owners filed ..read more

The application for full service retail permissions under the new version of Wis. Stat. 125 is available HERE. Please reach out with any questions on submitting your application ..read more

By: Sean E. Lees On April 23, 2024, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued its final overtime rule, which raised the annual salary required for certain employees to be exempt from overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).  While this rule will likely face legal challenges, it is scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2024. As a general rule, unless certain exemptions apply, employees who work more than forty (40) hours in a workweek must be paid overtime.  This new rule impacts two (2) exemptions – the executive, administrative, and professional (“EAP”) exemption and the high ..read more

This post is the second part in a multi-part series on Minnesota’s Adult Use Cannabis Law. Feel free to check out Part 1. The last post provided an overview of Minnesota law related to possession, use, self-growing, and gifting, which is the extent of adult-use cannabis Minnesota law allows for pre-2025. This blog post discusses what is supposed be ahead for cannabis businesses in Minnesota (starting in 2025). I will add the quick disclaimer that much of what I will lay out below has not yet been fleshed out, either through rule-making or subsequent legislation (more on that in a future post ..read more

In rural Wisconsin, attorneys face distinctive obstacles including inadequate access to resources and overburdened calendars (often due to travel). For attorneys with offices in secluded or rural locations, covering extensive territories to serve their clients and managing multiple duties is essential to maintain their legal practice. Skillfully managing business costs is crucial. Client appointments and court dates necessitate appearances. Leveraging the skills of competent legal assistants can significantly mitigate these hurdles. Paralegals as trained professionals can perform tasks that o ..read more

Attorney Tom Watson, the featured guest in the latest episode of the Bottom Up Podcast produced by the State Bar of Wisconsin, knows what it means to reinvent yourself.  Tom started his career in broadcast radio. He interviewed big names like Bill Clinton, Jesse Jackson, entertainer Red Skelton, and others. At age 37, Tom enrolled in law school. He’s now the CEO and president of Wisconsin Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company (WILMIC). From radio to public relations, from family law attorney to legal malpractice insurance executive, Tom talks about his multi-phased career path before diving de ..read more