About Trevor Kupfer
Trevor Kupfer is a senior editor on Super Lawyers’ staff. He is editor of the Illinois, South Carolina, Michigan, and Wisconsin magazines, in addition to being a writer and fact-checker of Super Lawyers’ other projects. He has a degree in journalism from an accredited program (University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire) and has written for such newspapers and magazines as Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, Volume One, Wisconsin State Journal, The Capital Times, Global Food Forums, and various publications under the groups Tribune Media Services, Capital Newspapers, and Conley Media. He has served on crime and courts beats and, in college, he aided an investigation through the Wisconsin Innocence Project.
Articles written by Trevor Kupfer
How Do Schools Investigate Student Misconduct?
Schools investigate student misconduct with evidence gathering, witness interviews, and notice of charges to ensure fair treatment and student rights protections. A code of conduct provides the due process school rules for student expulsion and disciplinary hearings based on the standard of proof of a preponderance of the evidence. For academic dishonesty suspensions, the school administration should provide notice of the right to appeal. Contact legal representation to understand your legal …
The Difference Between Bullying and Harassment in Massachusetts
It’s easy to make the mistake of thinking the number of complaints and disciplinary issues at schools have never been higher. They’ve always been high, says Judy A. Levenson, an education attorney in Brookline, Massachusetts. The reason it feels like there’s more today is because the expectations and laws have shifted to make schools more responsible for taking action. For legal help against discrimination or bullying in school, reach out to a local school and education lawyer. Harassment …
The Lawyer of Lost Causes and Bizarre Cases
Mark DeBofsky contends with Illinois’ slayer statuteOn Jan. 9, 2014, Anka Miscevic killed her husband, Zeljko. She stabbed him with a kitchen knife while he was asleep; struck him with a baseball bat to prevent him from calling 911; and told police she loved him but feared that he intended to kill her and her family. She was later acquitted of first-degree murder by reason of insanity. After all that, the question became: What to do with Zeljko Miscevic’s pension? That’s pretty unusual for an ERISA case—and it’s precisely why it found …
Colorado New Home Purchase: Construction Defects To Avoid
Duncan L. Griffiths is an attorney at Griffiths Law in Lone Tree who specializes in construction defects. This covers everything from large claims that impact multiple families, homeowners’ associations and/or building owners to individual claims on behalf of single families, contractors and developers. "The work is a hard, convoluted mess," he says. "There are a lot of moving parts to it, and it's a really complex area of the law. It's changing all the time and it's high stakes. For …
Four Common Misconceptions Owners Have About Construction Laws
“If you go buy a car and there's major problems with the engine within a couple of months or so, or the door doesn't fit properly, you can take the car back and they'll fix it. Everything's covered, no questions asked. If it is really a lemon, sometimes you can even get the car manufacturer to take the car back,” says Duncan L. Griffiths, a construction defects attorney at Griffiths Law in Lone Tree. “I think a lot of homeowners have that perception with new construction. They think they …
When Do You Call a Tax Attorney Versus an Accountant?
When you’re already behind on paying or filing taxes, the thought of reaching out to a paid tax professional is understandably daunting. An additional worry is what kind of tax professional you need. If you already have an accountant, do you need a tax lawyer? While an accountant generally handles financial planning and bookkeeping, a tax lawyer can provide legal advice about your financial decisions and tax liabilities. So, if a tax dispute with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) takes a …
What Counts as Healthcare Insurance Fraud?
Health insurance fraud is any act committed in order to improperly take advantage of the health insurance process. Individual claimants, healthcare professionals, and third-party businesses can commit healthcare fraud. Health insurance fraud is more common in the American insurance industry than you may think. There are many federal and state laws and regulatory agencies that exist to protect injured parties, whistleblowers, and the insurance companies paying insurance claims. To understand …
Long Overdue
How (and why) Mickes O’Toole made diversity its brandIn April 2016, more than a decade after they started their firm, Tom O’Toole and Tom Mickes made a decision that transformed their brand. They named two new hires—Vince Reese and Jeff St. Omer, both African American men—equity partners. “There was opportunity to be aggressive on the diversity front, to be a minority- and women-owned law firm, and make that a focal point of the next generation of the firm,” Reese says. “From a business perspective, and from a competitive perspective, …
Why Homeowners Associations Need To Hire Attorneys
Though homeowners associations, condominium associations, co-ops and summer resorts have the same types of legal concerns, each is subject to different state and federal statutes. This makes the job of governing tricky to navigate. So, when a board of directors attempts to amend its bylaws, contract with a vendor, or complete many other common actions without legal counsel, it can lead to trouble. “Boards that rely on the advice of professionals have protection from liability. Boards …
Not BigLaw
How Roger E. Barton developed a more transparent compensation systemThere was no aha moment. Though he once worked for a big law firm, he doesn’t recall reflecting on it much after he stepped away in 1991. The epiphany came slowly. “A general counsel once told me, ‘The BigLaw system is broken,’” Roger E. Barton recalls. “‘Where are the loyalties? Are the loyalties to try to get as much money out of a client as you possibly can so the firm is profitable, or is your loyalty to do what’s right for that client and establish a long-term …
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