Wisconsin State Law Library

Staff Changes @ WSLL

Lisa Winkler has accepted the position of Branch Librarian at the Dane County Legal Resource Center (DCLRC), effective June 25. Lisa had been the Library Associate at DCLRC since September 2005. She’s excited about working there full time, and about her new duties of managing the library’s collection and services. She’s also pleased to have more opportunities to work with the Dane County judges, clerk of courts and other county agency staff, and to serve as a resource person to help library users connect with other agencies and services available in the community. One of Lisa’s first tasks was to hire a new library associate, whom we’ll introduce next month.

Lisa holds a bachelor’s degree in French and International Studies from the UW-Madison, and is currently working toward a Master of Library Science Degree at UW-Madison School of Library & Information Studies. When she’s not working or studying, Lisa enjoys gardening, foreign films, and both vinyasa flow & ashtanga yoga.

Congratulations, Lisa!

State Law Librarian Recognized for 20-Year Memberships

Jane Colwin, State Law Librarian, will be recognized during the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) annual meeting in New Orleans July 15-17, for 20 years of continuous membership in both AALL and its State Court & County Law Libraries Special Interest Section (SCCLL-SIS). Jane joined AALL and SCCLL-SIS shortly after coming to WSLL in 1984, and she has served on several SCCLL-SIS committees over the years. Congratulations, Jane!

Hands-On Legal Research Classes

There are still a few seats available in each of our upcoming hands-on legal research classes:

• August 8: Using Shepard's Public Access @ the State Law Library
• September 12: 25 Legal Tech Tips in 90 Minutes
• October 3: The Wisconsin Court System Website: What's On It For Me?
• November 8: Using Blogs to Promote Your Law Practice
• December 12: Wisconsin Briefs Online

For class details and a registration form, visit our Classes & Tours webpage. Space is limited, so register today!

This month’s featured titles include:

New Edition: Family Limited Partnership Deskbook: Forming and Funding FLPs and Other Closely Held Business Entities, 2nd edition, by David T. Lewis and Andrea C. Chomakos.
American Bar Association, 2007.
Call Number KF1380 .L49 2007

This fully revised and updated edition provides a good reference source for practitioners and planners at all levels of understanding and expertise who want to understand and comply with requirements in the creation and administration of FLPs and LLCs. The authors provide in-depth analysis of all facets of these business entities. The book addresses basic principles of drafting, how and when to form and fund an FLP or LLC, and basic principles in valuing FLP and LLC interests that are to be transferred. It also addresses more advanced income tax concerns, including special allocations of and adjustments to basis, and the taxation of non-liquidating and liquidating distributions. Examples illustrate the principles involved and practical applications of techniques in the administration of FLPs and LLCs. Also included is a CD-ROM containing sample forms and exhibits covering the creation and operation of FLPs and LLCs.

Updated: Slip and Fall Practice, 2nd edition, by Charles E. Turnbow.
James Publishing, 1994- (updated May 2007)
Call Number KF1256.A8 T87 1994

According to the author, plaintiffs’ attorneys lose more than 40% of slip and fall cases. Since they’re difficult to win, such cases are often shunned by plaintiffs' counsel and undervalued by defendants and insurance carriers.

Failing to prove the actual cause of a slip and fall injury leads to most defeats in this type of case. Turnbow, an attorney and engineering consultant, provides practical guidance in all phases of slip and fall litigation, from depositions to trial preparation and determining damages. Whole chapters are devoted to specific categories of cases including falls on construction sites, recreational facilities, public property, in residences, in markets and at the workplace. Also included are chapters on falls on ice and snow, falls by the elderly or disabled, and playground accidents. The accompanying CD-ROM contains related forms.

2007 updates were made in chapters on premises liability law and negligence per se; mechanics of walking on rough or uneven work surfaces; workplace falls and the relationship between worker and property owner; falls by the elderly or disabled and the duties of care givers; and more.

Prose & Cons Collection

On the third floor of the library, all seems to be airy and light. Until, that is, you pick up a selection from our Prose & Cons suspenseful legal fiction collection. This summer, the chill of the air conditioning is equal only to the chill running up your spine as you enjoy a good novel from our Prose & Cons shelves.

Recent additions include several books from bestselling authors, as well as a large collection of Dick Francis novels. If you like horses and horse racing, especially when paired with an intriguing mystery, you’ll love Dick Francis. We now have just over 500 titles in our Prose & Cons book and video collection, supported solely by your donations.

In addition to books, we also continue to solicit donations for our growing Prose & Cons video collection. Some popular additions include:

• Good Night and Good Luck
• North Country
• Night Court
• Monk
• West Wing
• And, of course, Legally Blonde 1 & 2

Prose & Cons books circulate for 30 days. Videos circulate for 7 days. Eligible borrowers may contact our Reference Staff to check out these and other circulating library materials.

Management Collection

Were you aware that the library has a small collection of management books?

Evaluating employees can be difficult. Glean some tips from How to make performance evaluations really work or use ideas from Painless performance evaluations, 101 sample write-ups for documenting employee performance problems, or Effective phrases for performance appraisals.

Now that you’ve learned how to evaluate your employees, let 1001 ways to reward employees tell you how to reward them.

Are you looking for a job? Learn the 101 great answers to the toughest interview questions and let Interview for success teach you how to interview.

You might even, in these lazy days of summer, find some time to improve yourself. To that end, check out SuperSelf: doubling your personal effectiveness or Catch! a fishmonger's guide to greatness.

Ask a librarian for tips on searching the library’s management collection.

Summer Reading – 21st Century Style

Ah…Summer. Long, warm days perfect for walks, gardening, bike rides, painting the house, and maybe even curling up with a good book. But with so much to do outdoors and so many “summer chores” do you still have time for summer reading? Yes! Thanks to free audio books from the public library, you can read and do your summer chores at the same time. You don’t even have to go to the library to get the books.

Many public libraries throughout Wisconsin are participating in the digital audio books project from the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium (WPLC).

This service lets Wisconsin library patrons use their computers to download audio books, many of which can be burned to CD or transferred to an iPod. While you’re mowing the lawn or cleaning out closets, you can also learn Spanish or travel back to George Orwell’s 1984. Enjoy summer reading – 21st century style! For information on how to download books, visit the WPLC’s Digital Book Catalog and Download Center webpage.

85 editions of the Wisconsin Blue Book are now available online. University of Wisconsin Digital Collections Center has digitized all volumes from 1853-2003.

All the staff at the Wisconsin State Law Library, Milwaukee Legal Resource Center and the Dane County Legal Resource Center wish Justice Wilcox well as he takes off his robe to start a well deserved retirement.

Notables for July

1st - As the saying goes, there are two seasons in Wisconsin: Winter and Construction. On July 1, 1956, Congress passed the Highway Revenue Act of 1956, 70 Stat 387. This legislation granted authority and designated a policy of taxation aimed at creating a revenue fund for the construction of over 42,500 miles of interstate highways over a period of 13 years. For information about current Wisconsin highway work zones and detour information, see this Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation webpage.

4th - Happy Independence Day!

Even though it’s a holiday, several major projects were started on Independence Day. Work on the Erie Canal in New York state began on July 4, 1817. Construction of the first railroad in the United States, the Baltimore and Ohio (B & O) was started on July 4, 1828. July 4 was the date selected in 1848 for laying the cornerstone of the Washington Monument in the U.S. capital.

For fun 4th of July facts, such as the number of hotdogs which will be consumed (Answer: 150 million) visit this U.S. Census Bureau webpage.

4th - On this date in 1836, the Wisconsin Territory was created in Mineral Point, WI. Colonel Henry Dodge took the oath of office to become the first Governor of the Territory of Wisconsin. Previously part of Michigan Territory, the new Wisconsin Territory encompassed what is now the states of Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and portions of North and South Dakota. [Sources: History Just Ahead: A Guide to Wisconsin's Historical Markers, edited by Sarah Davis McBride; and the Wisconsin Historical Society]