Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Ralph M. Ramirez presents at the Family Law Seminar in Brookfield
Nearly 100 circuit court judges and court commissioners gathered for the return of the Family Law Seminar held March 9-11 in Brookfield. This event, developed by the Office of Judicial Education and faculty, was last held in-person in 2019, and the 2022 participants were ready to make the most of their time together.
The seminar kicked off with a focus on cultural competency in family law cases. Atty. Abbas Hadjian, the organizer of California’s Cultural Competency in Family Law Practice Project, led the opening plenary, followed by a panel of Wisconsin attorneys and judges. This panel offered insights and reflected on their own experiences, both from their time practicing, and on the bench.
The first day also included a session on “Third Party Visitation” by Atty. Christopher Krimmer, and an overview of the “Child Support Guidelines Quadrennial Review,” with Atty. Jill Mueller of the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. The audience also heard from a panel of practitioners who offered insight from their perspective on a range of family law topics.
Other sessions featured:
- A panel discussion on the “Approval of MSAs and Crafting Orders,” which drew lively input from the audience
- A presentation by Atty. Carlton Stansbury on “Maintenance & Tax Calc”
- An exercise and overview of domestic violence issues common in family law cases led by Atty. Amber Peterson from the Office of Court Operations and Atty. Amber Raffeet August
- A “Case Law/Legislative Update” from Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh, and attorneys Gregg Herman and Donna Leigh Ginzl
- Sessions titled, “Legal THC Use and Parents/Guardians” and “COVID Vaccinations and Kids,” both presented by Kenosha County Circuit Court Commissioner Elizabeth Pfeuffer.
- A presentation by attorneys Kelly Dodd and Suzanne Fischer Lorenz on COVID related issues, “Can COVID Employment Requirements Become Shirking?”
- A presentation by Atty. Theresa Roetter on “Practical Issues with Surrogacy”
- A panel discussion on “COVID/Zoom and the Future of Family Law”
Third Branch eNews is an online monthly newsletter of the Director of State Courts Office. If you are interested in contributing an article about your department’s programs or accomplishments, contact your department head. Information about judicial retirements and judicial obituaries may be submitted to: Sara.Foster@wicourts.gov