Big Demand for a Win-Win Way to Resolve Mortgage Crises

handshakeUnfortunately, business is booming when it comes to foreclosure problems in Wisconsin. Fortunately, the Milwaukee Foreclosure Mediation Program is succeeding at helping a growing number of those problems end with people keeping their homes and financial institutions satisfied with new arrangements.

Debra Tuttle, chief mediator for the program, said during a panel discussion at a conference Friday on foreclosure issues in Wisconsin that from July 22, when the program began, through November 4, there were 278 requests for mediation, more than double the number that was anticipated.

Twenty cases have gone through the mediation process, with all but one resulting in the owner keeping the house, she said. More than twenty others have ended with agreement between the owner and lender without the mediation process. And 136 are awaiting mediation. 

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Writing Competition Success

I am pleased to announce that 3L Douglas Hoffer just won third place in the James E. Beckley National Writing Competition, which is sponsored by the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association.  Doug received a cash prize, and his paper, “A Square Peg in a Round Hole:  Why the Investment Company Act is a Poor Regulatory Fit for Hedge Funds,” will be published in the PIABA Law Journal later this year or early next year.

I encourage students to follow in Doug’s footsteps and enter national writing competitions.  Many competitions award cash prizes and give students publication opportunities.  A link that contains information about student writing competitions is here.

Congratulations, Doug!

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Journalist Alan Borsuk Joins the Law School

Alan BorsukAs announced today in this press release by the University, Alan J. Borsuk is joining the Law School as senior fellow in law and public policy. This appointment follows a search in which the Law School sought a journalist with experience and skills in investigating and reporting on matters vital to the community. Marquette Law School is becoming a powerhouse of education, ideas, and action, thanks in large measure to the support from the University, as has especially characterized the presidency, since 1995, of Rev. Robert A. Wild, S.J. To have attracted Alan—a seasoned reporter who gained an outstanding reputation for his work at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel—not only confirms but also expands the Law School’s role as a civic institution committed to gathering and communicating information and ideas about critical public policy concerns. Alan will work with faculty and others at the Law School, such as Mike Gousha, on matters such as criminal justice, water policy, health care, technology, and dispute resolution. Alan will also maintain his own portfolio of projects, particularly in the area of education policy. Alan’s appointment presents exciting opportunities to further advance our missions of research, teaching, and service.

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