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Stephen Sawyer, Stevens Point, gives a speech at the Presidential Swearing-in and Celebration at the State Bar of Wisconsin’s 2026 Annual Meeting & Conference in La Crosse. Photos: Shannon Green. For more photos of the event, see the album on the State Bar’s Facebook page.

June 11, 2026 – Stephen Sawyer, who took the oath of office yesterday evening in La Crosse to serve as president of the State Bar of Wisconsin, encouraged a professional ethos of humility.

“We…
Continue Reading Stephen Sawyer, State Bar’s 71st President: ‘Strive to Be Humble and Kind’

Director of State Courts Audrey Skwierawski gave opening remarks at the Board of Governors meeting in La Crosse, noting the Wisconsin Court System’s major initiatives.

June 11, 2026 – The imminent end of the State Bar of Wisconsin’s fiscal year signals time to prepare for the new year and its challenges.

The 53-member Board of Governors (Board), kicking off the Annual Meeting & Conference in La Crosse, prepared through new appointments and elections for Fiscal Year 2027 (July 1,…
Continue Reading New Fiscal Year, New Leaders: State Bar Board Looks to Fiscal Year 2027

March 4, 2026 – The State Bar of Wisconsin’s 53-member
Board of Governors (Board) discussed the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027) and set the
Keller dues reduction amount at its Feb. 27 virtual meeting. The budget arrived at the Board after Finance Committee approval and unanimous approval of the Executive Committee. Interim Director for Administration and Finance, Jackie Jacobson, presented the proposed budget, outlining the process that built it. The first round

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Continue Reading State Bar Board Discusses Budget, Approves Keller Reduction

Chadwick W. Elgersma
Feb. 4, 2026 – Lifetime enforcer Chadwick M. Elgersma received appointment as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, according to a press release issued by the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday. Chief U.S. District Court Judge James D. Peterson signed the order on Jan. 22. “I am honored to serve as United States Attorney,” Elgersma said. “I thank the Court, President Trump, and Attorney General Bondi for the trust they placed in me, and I pledge

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Continue Reading Elgersma Appointed Western District U.S. Attorney

Lisa M. Lawless headshot

Lisa M. Lawless

Anna F.C. Muñoz headshot

Anna F.C. Muñoz

Basil J. Buchko headshot

Basil J. Buchko

Joseph M. Cardamone III headshot

Joseph M. Cardamone III

Saveon D. Grenell headshot

Saveon D. Grenell

Jason D. Luczak headshot

Jason D. Luczak

Dec. 5, 2026 –
Lisa M. Lawless and
Anna F.C. Muñoz have accepted nominations to run for 2026 State Bar of Wisconsin president-elect.

Both candidates are lawyers active in Milwaukee. Lawless (Indiana 1992) is with Husch Blackwell LLP, and Muñoz (Marquette 2005) is with Brookdale Senior Living Inc.

The president-elect serves a one-year term before becoming president on July 1,

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Continue Reading Your Vote Matters – Introducing the 2026 Officer Candidates

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Dec. 2, 2025 – The State Bar of Wisconsin, along with more than a dozen other state bar associations nationwide, is experiencing a new and highly targeted phishing attack aimed at our members. We want to ensure you are aware of this threat so you can protect your personal information and help prevent further exposure.
What’s Happening
Multiple bar associations, including ours, have reported a surge in phishing emails sent to members. These emails appear to come from organizational

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Continue Reading Scam Alert: New Phishing Campaign Targeting State Bar of Wisconsin Members

Stock Photo of Gavel in Front of Flag​

Oct. 28, 2025 – The U.S. Senate on Monday confirmed President Donald Trump’s nomination of Rebecca L. Taibleson to be the next judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Taibleson is Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and co-chief of the office’s Appellate Division. Her confirmation fills the seat of Judge Diane S. Sykes, who began senior status on Oct. 1.

The Senate voted 52-46 to confirm the nomination.

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Continue Reading Rebecca Taibleson Confirmed as Seventh Circuit Appeals Court Judge

New State Bar Executive Director Jill Rothstein gives her report at her first Board of Governors meeting.

Sept. 24, 2025 – The 53-member State Bar of Wisconsin Board of Governors (Board) held its first meeting of the fiscal year (FY 2026), meeting in Wausau, and welcomed 11 new governors and two building bridges liaisons.

It was also the first Board meeting for new President Dan Gartzke and new Executive Director Jill Rothstein.

The meeting came after the annual Joint

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Continue Reading New Fiscal Year, New State Bar Board of Governors

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Michelle Behnke, A Middle Aged Black Woman A BLue-Gray Business Suit, Suits On The Side Of The Desk In Her Solo Law Office​​​​Aug. 11, 2025 – Michelle Behnke, former president of the State Bar of Wisconsin (2004-05), will be officially sworn in as president of the American Bar Association (ABA) today at the ABA’s Annual Meeting in Toronto. She will serve a one-year term.

Behnke, of Boardman & Clark LLP in Madison, is only the second Wisconsin bar member to become president in the ABA’s 147-year history (founded in 1878).

State Bar of Wisconsin Executive Director Larry J. Martin issued the

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Continue Reading Michelle Behnke, of Wisconsin, is the Newest President of the American Bar Association

a group of people smiling at the cameraThe clerks of the Class of 2025 Diversity Clerkship Program. For more photos,
see the album on the State Bar of Wisconsin Facebook page.

Aug. 4, 2025 – It is a program to boost the next generation of lawyers – and also Wisconsin legal firms and organizations who employ them.

The State Bar of Wisconsin’s Diversity Clerkship Program matches first-year law students from all backgrounds from Wisconsin law schools with legal offices, firms, and corporations for a 10-week

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Continue Reading The State Bar Diversity Clerkship Program: A Win-Win for Students and Employers

State Bar building and sign​July 16, 2024 – ​The State Bar of Wisconsin has successfully resolved a federal lawsuit challenging its Leadership Academy and Leadership Summit programs, which were the target of a legal challenge that alleged the programs used race and ethnicity to select participants.

Ending protracted litigation, the State Bar has entered a settlement agreement with the plaintiff, State Bar member ​​​Daniel Suhr.

“We are pleased to have reached an amicable agreement that resolves the outstanding litigation,” said Immediate Past State

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Continue Reading State Bar Successfully Defends Leadership Academy and Leadership Summit

stock photoJuly 10, 2025 – The State Bar of Wisconsin is proud to participate in a new nationwide research initiative focused on lawyer mental health and well-being.

This important study – led by Patrick Krill (J.D., LL.M., M.A.), a nationally recognized expert on lawyer behavioral health, and his research partner Dr. Justin Anker of the University of Minnesota Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences – is a collaboration with the American Bar Association Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs.

​This national

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Continue Reading Wisconsin Lawyers Invited to Participate in National Mental Health Study

June 25, 2025 – Multiple state bars have reported a phishing scam involving fraudulent emails that appear to come from bar leadership or staff. The scam email is designed to look like an official communication from the State Bar.

It could use a deceptive email address — something like l.martin@wisbar.org.securemsg.com — that is not affiliated with the State Bar of Wisconsin.

If you see a return email address like this, it is a scam.

Members should not respond to

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Continue Reading Scam Alert: Fraudulent Phishing Emails Purport to Come from Bar Leaders

alt textDan Gartzke, the State Bar’s next president starting July 1, with his wife Tracey L. Schwalbe, also an attorney.​​

June 18, 2025 – Dan Gartzke could not predict that he would become State Bar president, he said in his inaugural speech Wednesday night in Madison, but “looking backward I see how every decision, every move, led to where I am now.”

He could, however, point to how he made those choices. At each step, he was with mentors.

Gartzke,

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Continue Reading Dan Gartzke Sworn in as State Bar’s 70th President: ‘Mentorship Helps Us Now’