Justices review Wis. State Bar's petition to adopt SCR 23.

• Date: 17 December 2007

Byline: Jack Zemlicka

The definition of what constitutes the unauthorized practice of law by professionals not licensed to do so will not be found in Webster's Dictionary.

State Bar of Wisconsin leaders hope it will appear in a Wisconsin Supreme Court rule. Justices reviewed the State Bar's petition to adopt SCR 23 on Dec. 10.

During a public hearing prior to that discussion, representatives of banking, accounting and insurance groups opposed changes they said protected lawyers' practices rather than consumers.

Though the Court expressed interest in adopting a rule defining the practice of law and creating a system to administer the rule, endorsement could be contingent on several recommendations made by the justices.

Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson outlined jurisdictional and structural concerns raised by the petition, as well as a need for more collaboration between the Bar and opponents of the rule.

I get the sense that the Court is not willing to undertake adoption of the petition as it stands, said Abrahamson during the open administrative conference which followed the presentation of the petition.

Open to Opposition

Representatives from more than a dozen organizations including the Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA), Wisconsin Institute of...