Rebecca K. Blemberg – Page 4 – Marquette University Law School Faculty Blog

California Moves Towards Civil Right to Counsel

Post author:Rebecca K. Blemberg
Post published:October 13, 2009
Post category:Judges & Judicial Process

Today California became the first state to establish a pilot program to provide appointed counsel to low-income people in civil legal matters. The program is scheduled to be in effect from July 1, 2011, to July 1, 2017. Low -income people will receive appointed counsel for assistance in critical civil legal matters in areas like disability law, family law, and housing law. California will pay for the program by redirecting a $10 court fee increase that had already been approved.

I’m excited by this development and wish that more states, including Wisconsin, would establish similar programs. Too many poor people with critical legal needs navigate a complicated system without legal assistance. When parties with critical legal needs are represented, the system is fairer and more efficient.

Law School Hosts Regional Writing Conference

Post author:Rebecca K. Blemberg
Post published:October 11, 2009
Post category:Legal Research Legal Writing Marquette Law School Uncategorized

This weekend, from Friday evening through Saturday, the Law School hosted the Central Region Legal Writing Conference, welcoming more than 100 attendees, not only from the central United States but from all over the country. The theme was “Climate Change: Alternative Sources of Energy in Legal Writing,” and those who attended seemed energized by the interesting speakers and lively discussion among faculty who teach research and writing skills.

Professor Alison Julien took the lead in organizing this conference, and several participants (including Mark Wojcik at the Legal Writing Prof Blog) remarked upon how well the event was organized and run. The biggest testament to its success, I think, is that conference participants have encouraged Marquette to serve as the host school again.

The conference featured a diverse range of interesting topics, and though I was unable to attend every session, the six I attended are representative: Collaboration in Teaching and Scholarship; Update on Interdisciplinary Skills Scholarship (presented by our visiting Boden Professor of Legal Writing, Michael Smith); The Six Things You Can Do in a Contract; Assigning Clients in Persuasive Writing Assignments; Using Literature to Teach Theme Development in Persuasive Writing, and How to Identify and Counter Logical Fallacies (presented by Prof. Melissa Greipp). The sessions were informative and thought-provoking, and I left the conference thinking of ways I can improve my teaching and engage in scholarship.

Many thanks to everyone who made the event a success, including, especially, Dean Kearney, Prof. Julien, Sharon Hill, Beverly Franklin, Carol Dufek, and many student volunteers.

Questions of Professionalism

Post author:Rebecca K. Blemberg
Post published:October 3, 2009
Post category:Judges & Judicial Process Legal Ethics Legal Practice Legal Scholarship Legal Writing Wisconsin Law & Legal System

I’ve been thinking about professionalism lately. Two discussions in the past week or so have stuck with me.

The first discussion appeared in the Law Librarian Blog (thank you, Professor O’Brien, for forwarding it.) In Florida, U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Presnell issued an order denying a plaintiff’s motion for voluntary dismissal for

Failing to comply with Local Rule 3.01(g), for failing to secure a stipulation of dismissal from Defendant pursuant to FED. R. CIV. 41 (a)(ii), and for otherwise being riddled with unprofessional grammatical and typographical errors that nearly render the entire Motion incomprehensible.