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​​Aug. 20, 2024 – A party alleging the State Bar of Wisconsin uses membership dues to fund political and ideological activities cannot seek money damages, under a
recent ruling from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.Atty. Daniel Suhr, represented by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL), filed a complaint in December 2023, alleging that the State Bar’s mandatory status is unconstitutional because, Suhr alleges, the State Bar uses membership dues to fund political…
Continue Reading Litigation Update: State Bar Will Vigorously Defend Keller Procedures

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Aug. 6, 2024 – Former State Bar of Wisconsin President Michelle Behnke was elected ABA President-elect at the end of the ABA’s annual meeting in Chicago on August 6.​“Congratulations to Michelle Behnke on her election as American Bar Association President-elect,” said State Bar of Wisconsin Executive Director Larry Martin. “Her extensive experience in the ABA and her tenure as a trailblazing State Bar President will serve the ABA and it’s 400,000 members well.”

Behnke served as president of the…
Continue Reading Michelle Behnke Elected American Bar Association President-elect

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Hon. Jeh Charles Johnson, former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and ABA Task Force for American Democracy co-chair, speaks on “The Threat to Democracy.”

July 11, 2024 – A dozen speakers recently gave sobering presentations on the threat to democracy during a nonpartisan event from the American Bar Association’s Task Force for American Democracy, in partnership with the State Bar of Wisconsin.

The program, called
Wisconsin: Elections in the 21st Century (watch now) was held in-person July…
Continue Reading American Bar Association Brings Democracy Listening Tour to Wisconsin

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Dan D. Gartzke

David E. Lasker

July 10, 2024 – The State Bar of Wisconsin is holding a special election in October to fill a vacancy at the organization’s president-elect post.

Electronic voting will begin on Oct. 10 and members will have 15 days to vote, with the election closing at noon, Oct. 25, 2024. Results will be announced Oct. 28, 2024.

See more information on voting in this election.
Meet the Candidates
Dan D. Gartzke of Madison…
Continue Reading Meet the Candidates for President-elect: Vote in October

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Outgoing members of the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Board of Governors were honored by outgoing State Bar President Dean Dietrich at a luncheon prior to the board’s final meeting of the fiscal year.

June 20, 2024 – The State Bar of Wisconsin kicked off its 2024 Annual Meeting & Conference in Green Bay yesterday as the Board of Governors took several actions at its final meeting of the term and heard opening remarks from Director of State Courts, Judge…
Continue Reading State Bar Board of Governors Opens 2024 Annual Meeting & Conference

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Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Annette Ziegler administers the oath of office to Ryan Billings, who becomes the 69th president of the State Bar of Wisconsin on July 1.

June 20, 2024 – Ryan Billings set his sights on a legal career after excelling in mock trial competition as a Sheboygan South High School student.

Along the way, Billings obtained a law degree from Harvard Law School and learned the ropes of business litigation at the white-shoe law firm of…
Continue Reading Into the Breach: Ryan Billings Sworn in as 69th State Bar President

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New lawyer Hannah Fontaine (center) celebrates with her parents immediately after she became a Wisconsin lawyer. See more photos of the event on the State Bar of Wisconsin Facebook page for the noon and 2:30 p.m.​ ceremonies. June 3, 2024 – They are new attorneys ready to start their careers – 200 recent graduates of the U.W. Law School, now sworn in as new Wisconsin lawyers. Welcomed in two separate ceremonies by Chief Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler and…
Continue Reading UW Admissions: Welcome to 200 New Wisconsin Lawyers

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The admissions ceremony was held before members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the Assembly Chamber in the State Capitol building. For additional photos, see the albums on Facebook for the 9:30 a.m. and the 1:30 p.m.​ ceremonies.

May 24, 2024 – The new Wisconsin lawyers include a math professor, a young man who faced drug charges and whose public defender changed his life, a paralegal who wanted to do more to help people, and several first lawyers…
Continue Reading Marquette Admissions: Welcome to 185 New Wisconsin Lawyers

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​​May 7, 2024 – The State Bar of Wisconsin’s Board of Governors in a special meeting today (May 7) approved a motion appointing Dist. 2 Gov. Ryan Billings president-elect for the remainder of fiscal year 2024 (now until June 30, 2024).Billings, who in April was
elected to serve as the next State Bar president-elect for FY 2025 (starting July 1, 2024), will instead become president on July 1, 2024. Billings is with Kohner, Mann & Kailas, S.C., Milwaukee.Typically,…
Continue Reading Billings Fills Vacancy at State Bar President-elect, Will Become President July 1

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April 29, 2024 – Ryan Billings is the next president-elect of the State Bar of Wisconsin. In the elections ending April 26, 2024, Billings defeated Jennifer Johnson of Milwaukee by 1,615 votes to 1,376. The president-elect typically serves a one-year term as president-elect before serving a one-year term as president. Newly elected officers take their posts on July 1, 2024.​ Billings is with Kohner, Mann & Kailas, S.C., Milwaukee. “I am honored to be elected, and I will do…
Continue Reading State Bar President-elect Post Goes to Ryan Billings

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The group of soon-to-be Wisconsin lawyers take the Attorney’s Oath in the Supreme Court Hearing Room. For more photos of the event, see ​the album on the State Bar of Wisconsin Facebook page. April 18, 2024 – A business lawyer from California, a journalist turned lawyer, a lawyer representing the third generation of lawyers in her family, and the first lawyer in her family. These describe some of Wisconsin’s newest lawyers, taking the final steps after passing…
Continue Reading Welcome to 11 New Wisconsin Lawyers

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District 2 Governor Karen Bauer speaks during the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Board of Governor’s discussion on the proposed FY 2025 budget on Friday, April 12.

April 12, 2024 – The State Bar of Wisconsin’s 52-member Board of Governors approved the fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025) budget at its meeting on Friday, April 12.

Paul Marshall, the State Bar’s chief financial officer, said that the initial submission of the FY 2025 budget revealed that…
Continue Reading State Bar Board Approves FY 2025 Budget, Takes Other Actions

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Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley gives remarks during an Admissions ceremony on Jan. 23, 2024, in the Supreme Court Hearing Room.

April 11, 2024 – Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley announced today that she will retire from the court when her term ends in July 2025. When she retires next year, she will have served 30 years as a justice, 40 years total on the bench.

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to…
Continue Reading Justice Ann Walsh Bradley Announces Retirement from Supreme Court

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April 8, 2024 –The State Bar of Wisconsin has successfully defended its Diversity Clerkship Program and secured a settlement agreement with a plaintiff who challenged the program in federal court. The Diversity Clerkship Program will continue unchanged.

The State Bar’s Diversity Clerkship Program facilitates paid summer internships at private law firms, corporate legal departments, and governmental agencies in Wisconsin that choose to participate by coordinating opportunities for applicants to the Program to meet, interview, and be connected with those…
Continue Reading State Bar Successfully Defends Diversity Clerkship Program: Settlement Agreement Explained

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April 3, 2024 – The State Bar of Wisconsin has reached a settlement regarding its Diversity Clerkship Program, which was challenged in federal court. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) has agreed to dismiss this portion of the lawsuit after a clarification in the State Bar’s definition of “diversity.”

“The settlement clarifies the definition of ‘diversity’ but makes no changes to the program,” said State Bar Executive Director Larry J. Martin. “The Diversity Clerkship Program, which…
Continue Reading State Bar of Wisconsin’s Diversity Clerkship Program Continues Unchanged Under Settlement Agreement

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March 27, 2024 – State Bar of Wisconsin President Dean R. Dietrich lauded the enactment of bipartisan judicial security legislation today.

The package of three bills aims to bolster security for judicial officers by protecting personal information and shielding judges’ residences from protestors.

The bills were authored by Representatives Ron Tusler (R-Harrison), Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (D-Milwaukee), and Sheila Stubbs (D-Madison), and Senator Van Wanggaard (R-Racine) and former Senator Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee). Governor Tony Evers signed the bills into law during…
Continue Reading State Bar of Wisconsin President Lauds Enactment of Judicial Security Bills