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
Will a New York Lawyer Take My Case for Free?
Super Lawyers: I want to talk to you about a big thing people are concerned about: The cost of an attorney. And I don't think there's a lot known in the general public about pro bono legal representation in terms of how attorneys decide to take cases for free or at a discount and the resources that exist for those in need. So, for you, is this a personal decision? Sharon Stern Gerstman, past president of the New York State Bar Association and attorney at Magavern Magavern Grimm law firm: …
Can You Sue if Social Services Takes Your Kids?
Social service departments play an important role in giving assistance to local communities. However, if a social services department violates your legal rights in the course of carrying out its duties — such as wrongfully taking your kids — you may have a legal claim against it. Learn more about suing social service departments below, and reach out to an experienced lawyer for advice and help. When Child Protective Services Violate Parent Rights Diane and Otis Bass have three special needs …
Talking Shatner with Jason Abraham
How the stars aligned for the icon to become a spokesperson for Hupy & AbrahamWhen most people in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa hear the words “Hupy & Abraham,” one of the first things that pops to mind is William Shatner. The personal injury firm has been running its ad campaign with the Star Trek actor at the forefront since 2007, and it has left an indelible impression. So we decided to reach out to founding partner Jason Abraham and find out more about how they snagged “Rock It Man” Captain Kirk. Super Lawyers: So how many years have you been running …
A Vaccinated Workforce Doesn't Have To Mean a Mandate
Business attorneys’ phone lines have been ringing nonstop ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, with employers needing to hit a constantly moving target when it comes to compliance. Early in 2021, though, the questions started shifting from, ‘How do we avoid spreading Coronavirus?’ to ‘How do we encourage employees to get the COVID vaccine?’ “I’m getting calls from all different industries, with employers trying to tread carefully,” says Leigh Dones Moss, a business law attorney at …
Michigan Business Disputes: How To Solve Impasse
Gene J. Esshaki had his first official mediation case in the early ’00s, shortly after that form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) was formally recognized by Michigan courts. A woman had hired a contractor to put new gutters on her home. The contractor warned her that he could do so, but she was in need of a new roof, and, without one, might experience leaks. She understood the concern, but couldn’t afford the roof, so told him to proceed with only the gutters. “Well, he put the …
A Happy Goal
Allison McNair built an adoption and surrogacy firm, then adopted a child herselfEarly last year, Allison McNair began a journey she’d been dreaming about since she was a girl. It’s what led her to form her own practice in 2014, Building Families LLC, where she and her husband Cole help others achieve the same dream. She began the process to adopt a child. “I’d always been interested in adoption and knew I would adopt, so in law school I pursued it heavily,” she says. “I met someone else who does it, they became my mentor and helped me learn the trade. Then …
'Some Kind of Difference'
Igor Raykin spent a decade teaching underserved kids before entering education lawWhen Igor Raykin graduated from law school in 2000, he didn’t want to be a lawyer. Nor did he want to be a reporter, citing the dim career prospects, even though he got his bachelor’s in journalism. “For a long time, I wanted to teach,” he adds. “But I let some people talk me out of the prospect.” After talking himself back into it, the following summer Raykin entered Metropolitan State University of Denver’s teaching program. Because of the timing, he had limited internship …
What Does a Small Business Lawyer Cost and Do I Need One?
There's a saying that if something doesn't have a price tag, you probably can't afford it. While there's truth to it in some circumstances, that's not necessarily the case with attorneys. The reason many don't advertise a single price is that cost is largely based on needs, and those vary on a case-by-case basis. However, just as there are large corporations and small startups, the same is true of law firms. “If you're working with a small business, you have to be reasonable and understand …
'The World is Not Equal'
Melaney LaGrone uses her police and prosecutor backgrounds to help criminal defense clientsBeing a lawyer was never a lifelong passion. In college, I majored in criminal justice studies, and when I graduated, I wanted to go to the U.S. Marshals but the marshals weren’t hiring. Because I attended University of Detroit, right in the heart of the city, I met a lot of police officers and they were like, “We’re hiring. Come on.” So I went straight out of the academy to “gang squad.” They changed the name to “special enforcement section” because we ultimately did more …
The Lucky Ones
Five attorneys under 40 discuss student debt, the Great Recession, and the good fortune that got them hereBy the time they were in undergrad, each of the five millennial Super Lawyers listees we spoke with knew they wanted to be attorneys. But barriers, like rising tuition costs and the Great Recession, remained. “In college it still felt like a distant dream,” recalls family lawyer Alexandra Masters. Even in law school, these attorneys weren’t considering specific practice areas or firms. “I interned at any firm that I could, just to get exposure to as many areas as possible,” says …
Find top lawyers with confidence
The Super Lawyers patented selection process is peer influenced and research driven, selecting the top 5% of attorneys to the Super Lawyers lists each year. We know lawyers and make it easy to connect with them.
Find a lawyer near you