WDBA Committees

• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Communications
• Pro Bono/Pro Se
• Membership
• Courthouse Facilities
• Rules, Practice and Procedure
• Web Site

Alternative Dispute Resolution

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Communications

The Communications Committee is currently co-chaired by the two most immediate Past Presidents of the Association. The Communications Committee is primarily responsible for soliciting and gathering material for the WDBA's quarterly newsletter and overseeing its production. Newsletters are typically issued in September, December, March, and June.

Newsletter content is broadly defined to include matters of interest to federal court practitioners generally, or affecting practice before the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin. Members of the WDBA are encouraged to submit articles to the Communications Committee.

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Pro Bono/Pro Se

In 2002, 126 cases were filed in the Western District of Wisconsin by prisoners alleging denial of their civil rights. The great majority of these prisoner cases were filed pro se, that is, without lawyer representation. Because no attorneys are involved in these cases, they can be difficult for the Court to process and rarely are successful, even when the claims are meritorious.

The WDBA Pro Se/Pro Bono Committee assists the Court in finding volunteer attorneys in cases where one of the judges finds that representation is warranted. The Committee maintains a list of WDBA members who are willing to serve as volunteer counsel, and serves as an intermediary with the Court in locating and appointing lawyers who are willing to serve as pro bono counsel in appropriate cases.

The Committee also administers a fund for reimbursing volunteer attorneys for some of their out-of-pocket costs. At the WDBA annual meeting, the Committee recognizes and honors those WDBA members who have accepted pro bono appointments in the preceding year.

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Membership

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Courthouse Facilities

The Courthouse Facilities Committee is responsible for maintaining the Attorney's Room at the Federal Courthouse. The Attorney's Room includes a copier, facsimile, telephone, and computers that may be used for word processing. The WDBA pays the telephone bills, and provides copy paper, pens, notepads, and other items for the convenience of counsel. The Attorney's Room may be used by any attorney by obtaining the key from Clerk's Office in Room 320. The Courthouse Facilities Committee also makes recommendations to the Board of Governors if the Committee determines that the courtrooms, or other facilities may be improved or modified to better serve practitioners and litigants alike.

Rules, Practice and Procedure

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Web Site

In 2002, the Western District Bar Association established a Web Site Committee. The Web Site Committee, with the assistance of the State Bar, established a web site that is accessible by both its members and the public alike at http://www.wisbar.org/bars/west/.

The Committee is responsible for determining the content of the WDBA's web site. During 2003, the Web Site Committee included the following information on the WDBA's site: calendar of events; past newsletters; past CLE materials; Judicial Practice Expectations; committee mission statements; links to helpful Federal web sites; the WDBA Bylaws; a list of Past Presidents; and rosters listing the Officers and Board Members.

The Web Site Committee's on-going mission is to chose appropriate content and maintain a web site that serves as a useful resource for members of the organization. To that end, the Committee welcomes any suggestions to expand or improve the content of the site. Future projects include providing sample electronic documents, and evaluating whether the posting of unpublished opinions would be useful to its members.

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