Marquette University Law School Faculty Blog

Vos and Barca Call for (and Demonstrate) More Civil Legislative Style

Post author:Alan J. Borsuk
Post published:March 1, 2013
Post category:Political Processes & Rhetoric Public Speakers at Marquette

Let’s assume that civil, even good natured differences of opinion are better than heated, even angry differences of opinion.

The former is what was provided by two of the key figures in the Wisconsin Legislature at an “On the Issues with Mike Gousha” event Friday in the Appellate Courtroom of Eckstein Hall. The latter was one of the things the Legislature became known for nationwide two years ago.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a Republican, and Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, a Democrat, didn’t mask their differences on a list of major issues. But the hour-long session was a conversation, not a shouting match.

For one thing, the two actually get along reasonably well on a personal level and, once a month, they tape a similar civil dialogue for broadcast on “Wisconsin Eye,” the cable TV and online service that broadcasts legislative sessions and related programming. For another, they and others in the Legislature are intentionally trying to change the tenor of the environment within the Capitol.

Welcome, March Bloggers

Post author:Michael M. O'Hear
Post published:March 1, 2013
Post category:Public

Our guest bloggers in March are 2L Nicholas Chmurski and Marthina Greer ’10. Many thanks to our February guests, 3L Priya Barnes and Douglas Hoffer ’10.

For Love of the Game…

Post author:Mary Wagner
Post published:February 27, 2013
Post category:Legal Practice Public

I had my “eureka” moment about appellate advocacy when I was still a law student. With too few credits to even apply for the Milwaukee District Attorney’s “prosecutor clinic,” I still made an appointment to meet with a deputy DA to see if there was some way I could still volunteer and be useful.

I was stashed aside in a room with a table, lots of books and stacks of papers to wait for the meeting, but as I waited my eye was drawn to a slip opinion sitting on the table. I started to read, of course. The case, as I recall, had something to do with how much Spanish language interpretation was due to a defendant at a particular point in the process. I never got to the end of the opinion, so I don’t know how it turned out.

But I remember feeling the light turn on in my head, recognizing in an instant that this was an area of the law where, if you believed passionately in something and gave it your all in the higher courts, win or lose, your words and your efforts had a resonance beyond just a single case.

Of course, at that time I don’t think I even realized that there was a difference between “published” and “unpublished” opinions. Too late now, the fuse was lit!