Senator Feingold on Civility

Last week in honor of ABA Mediation Week, the DR Society here hosted former Senator Russell Feingold for a talk on Civility in Public Discourse. We had a wonderful off-the-record hour (so I can’t tell you all the good stories!–here is me cracking up at one) but what I can say is heartening in terms of supporting our students. Feingold noted that the most persuasive negotiators in the Senate were those who were passionate and had conviction and would also know when to work out a deal. You could trust that they would keep their word. When I asked him about the “argument culture” that seems to pervade Washington, Senator Feingold urged our students to fight against this mentality–stay civil, be humble, keep your word. In reflecting about his long-term interactions with Senator McCain on the campaign finance reform bill, Senator Feingold pointed out that these cross-cutting relationships are crucial–after all, you don’t need to make a deal with those who already agree with you. Over his 18 years in the Senate, he noted how the atmosphere had changed where a senator was part of a joint enterprise with an honored history and esprit de corps–these days politicians get elected by running against the idea that you need to work together. In focusing on Wisconsin–which has been an incredible battleground in the last year over labor rights, the Supreme Court, and other issues–I will note at least two state senators that seem to be taking a page from Senators Feingold and McCain. Dubbed the Common Ground tour, these two senators are touring their respective districts stumping for common issues.  (For more on the Common Ground tour and to hear directly from these state senators, you can click here to watch our own Mike Gousha interviewing them as part of Marquette’s “On the Issues” series.)

Cross posted at Indisputably.

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Pro Bono: A Lot to Celebrate

Last week, as part of the American Bar Association’s coordinated effort to showcase the great difference pro bono makes, we hosted our third annual Pro Bono Celebration.  This gave us opportunity to highlight some of our community partners.  We celebrated with balloons and cake in the conference center and heard from Beth Cordes Thompson, Director of Wisconsin English Language Partners of Wisconsin and a recent beneficiary of the Marquette Legal Initiative for Nonprofit Corporations’ services;  Gerri Sheets-Howard, Director of the House of Peace where the Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinic (MVLC) is in its tenth year of operation; Jim Duff, Director of Milwaukee County Veterans’ Service Office where the MVLC has hosted a clinic since 2009; Dr. Luis “Tony” Baez, Director of the Council for Spanish Speakers where the MVLC has operated a clinic since 2008; and John Barrett, Milwaukee County Clerk of Courts, where our clinic has run since 2009. These speakers are pictured from left to right in the photo accompanying this post. I heard from multiple attendees that they were refueled after hearing about the reach of the legal services our law students and a dedicated cadre of volunteer attorneys provide.

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Marquette Law School Poll

Marquette University Law School will undertake a substantial statewide polling initiative during 2012. This will be the most comprehensive polling enterprise in Wisconsin’s history, following public opinion through a number of polls over the year. The goal of the Marquette Law School Poll is to provide a balanced and detailed understanding of how voters on all sides view and respond to the issues of the 2012 campaigns. The initiative will build upon the work at Marquette Law School of Mike Gousha, distinguished fellow in law and public policy since 2008, and Alan Borsuk, senior fellow in law and public policy since 2009. Leading the effort will be Charles Franklin, a University of Wisconsin–Madison professor of political science, who will be with us throughout 2012 as a visiting professor of law and public policy. Franklin is a national expert on statistical methods, political polling, elections, and public opinion. With the national attention that Wisconsin will receive in 2012 and Marquette Law School’s growing reputation as a premier neutral site for debate and civil discourse on matters affecting the region and points beyond—and with Franklin, Gousha, and Borsuk, together with interested faculty at the Law School and the larger university—there can be little doubt that the time, place, and people are right for the Marquette Law School Poll. The announcement and the underlying reasoning are expanded upon in this press release and in this detailed project description.

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