If you happened to receive the Wisconsin Lawyer magazine over the weekend, or it’s sitting on your desk now — you’ll see yours truly looking back at you as one of five Legal Innovators selected by the Wisconsin Bar for 2014.  The Bar chose me for the development and creation of the eDiscovery Assistant™ app for iPad — an app that puts the tools in attorneys’ hands to conduct eDiscovery better. The article is also online in case you aren’t a WI Bar member.

This was the inaugural year for the “That’s a Fine Idea” Legal Innovators program at the Wisconsin Bar and I’m thrilled to be included in the first class of lawyers and judges who are thinking outside the box about how to deliver legal services better. There were five Innovators selected this year including me, and each one (along with the other mentioned nominees) has stepped outside the box to make a real world difference. Please be sure to read about the other nominees mentioned at the end of the article and how they are using technology to provide services that haven’t been available before — like Syovata Edari, who is using videos to tell her client’s stories at sentencing. Having worked as a prosecutor, I can attest firsthand to the impact that such a video would have at sentencing.

A special shout out to my former partner and fellow Innovator Mike Gonring at Quarles & Brady for his work on the mobile legal clinic and to two other former partners Frank Daily and Julie Ebert who made it possible. While at Quarles, I had the opportunity to work in the pro bono Marquette Legal Clinic and the value that we were able to provide to many folks who had no resources or knowledge of the system was immeasurable. The mobile clinic takes it on the road literally — going to clients who need services but can’t get to the normal locations.

If you don’t know Mike, you have almost certainly seen the benefits of his 40+ years of pro bono service around Wisconsin and the entire country. Mike is that guy who does everything possible to deliver practical legal solutions and wants no credit. His accomplishments in establishing programs and bettering the delivery of justice are far to numerous to mention. He’s a model for giving back to the community and for how to conduct yourself as an attorney. He’s also a damn good lawyer. I’ve learned a tremendous amount from Mike over the years, and I’m happy for him to get the spotlight. My thanks and congratulations to Mike, Frank and Julie.

We have to keep thinking outside the box to make the legal profession stay on top of what’s happening in the world and how we can help those who need legal services get them.  My thanks to all of the Innovators out there — nominated or not, who are helping move the profession forward.

Congratulations to all of this years Innovators!