Trust. It’s an important word to Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman, L’02. He wants the city’s police department to have the trust of residents because of what he believes is a new culture in the department. And he wants to work with the community as a whole in a trusting relationship to help Milwaukee deal with some of its big issues.
“Jeffrey Norman Wants Your Trust,” the cover story in the Fall 2023 issue of Marquette Lawyer, Marquette Law School’s magazine, offers an engaging and insightful conversation with Norman. He discusses his goals as police chief, how he came to hold the position, and his thoughts on some of major issues that Milwaukee, its police force, and Norman personally are dealing with. A Milwaukeean through and through—a graduate of North Division High School and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and a long-time member of the police department—Norman loves the city and thinks that building a different and constructive relationship between police and residents can make it better. The interview with Norman may be read by clicking here.
Speaking of trust, we trust that other articles in the new magazine will provide a wide range of valuable insights and information. Consider these pieces in the issue:
“Complexity and Contradiction in American Law” is a lightly edited text of the E. Harold Hallows Lecture delivered at Marquette Law School in March 2023 by Judge Gerard E. Lynch, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Columbia Law School. Lynch maintains, contra Dworkin, “that that there isn’t and can’t be a single overall vision that fits together all of American law.” He also makes practical observations about the work of the federal courts. Lynch concludes that an American system where judges have differing philosophies and sometimes reach conclusions different from what other judges would decide is, in fact, a good thing. The article may be read by clicking here.
“Democracy in the Criminal Justice System” offers the insights of Carissa Byrne Hessick, Ransdell Distinguished Professor of Law and Director of the Prosecutors and Politics Project at the University of North Carolina. Hessick assesses the American criminal justice system, which she characterizes as “uniquely democratic.” Hessick last fall delivered Marquette Law School’s annual Barrock Lecture, which serves as the basis for the article. To read her perspective, click here.
“Eviction—So Simple, So Complex, So Human” describes the growing role of attorneys in eviction proceedings in Milwaukee Country, starting from 2016 when a Pulitzer Prize-wining book focused on the impact of evictions in the city of Milwaukee. The article canvasses both support and criticism of trends that have seen more attorneys becoming involved, particularly in representing tenants facing evictions. The article may be read by clicking here.
“A Glimpse into a Challenging Area of Practice” profiles J. Michael End, L’73, and describes the uphill battle for a plaintiff’s lawyer in medical malpractice cases in Wisconsin. End, whose practice is based in Milwaukee, has represented medical malpractice plaintiffs for decades. Plaintiff’s-side attorneys lose 90 percent of the time at trial in medical malpractice cases, for reasons that include the state of the law, and there are now only 10 or so lawyers in Wisconsin who take these cases for plaintiffs, End says. The article may be read by clicking here.
In the Law School News section of the magazine, we introduce two new members of the Marquette Law School faculty: Christine Chabot, an associate professor of law, and Jason Reinecke, an assistant professor of law. Chabot’s research focuses on federal administrative law, and Reinecke’s on patent law, while they also teach more generally in the curriculum. The Law School News section also reports on remarks by Maha Jweied, CEO of the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., at the Posner Pro Bono Exchange program at Eckstein Hall this past April. The program recognized the pro bono work of dozens of Marquette Law students. And the news section features four current Marquette Law School students who took part in the Law School’s now-decade-old Summer Youth Institute. The Law School News section may be read by clicking here.
In his column titled “Drawing On—Even Dwelling in—the Past,” Dean Joseph D. Kearney muses about Sensenbrenner Hall, the home of Marquette Law School for many decades. He offers thoughts about what has changed and what has not in the transition to Eckstein Hall, the school’s home since 2010, and how the Law School community continues to benefit from the work of its forebears. The column may be read by clicking here.
Finally: the Class Notes describe recent accomplishments of more than two dozen Marquette lawyers and may be read by clicking here, and the back cover (here) spotlights the success of lawyers who were part of the Law School’s sports law program in meeting career goals.
The full magazine may be read by clicking here .