State Bar of Wisconsin​

We are a professional association for Wisconsin lawyers. The State Bar provides educational, career development, and other services to more than 25,000 members. We also provide public services, including attorney referrals, public education, and reduced-fee legal assistance for low-income state residents. Our mission is to improve the administration of justice and the delivery of legal services and to promote the professional interests of Wisconsin lawyers.

Website: https://www.wisbar.org/
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You ask a junior associate to draft a services agreement. A day later, a polished-looking document lands in your inbox. You later learn much of it was written not by the associate, but by a generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool.

This is no longer hypothetical. Generative AI is now used to draft and redline contracts, write and polish memoranda, and review volumes of documents in data rooms, among other things. Already in use at many firms, these tools offer…
Continue Reading When Associates Use AI: The Supervising Lawyer’s Responsibility

In the realm of Wisconsin family law, “service by publication” is often viewed as the procedural safety net of last resort. Under Wis. Stat. section 801.11(1)(c), when a spouse cannot be located after “reasonable diligence,”[1] the law allows for notice to be published in a newspaper to satisfy due process. However, for practitioners dealing with spouses residing in countries that criminalize defamation for revealing secret of family life, this procedural requirement creates a dangerous paradox: complying with Wisconsin…
Continue Reading Conflict of Laws: The Perils of Divorce by Publication and International Laws

Running a solo or small law office means managing every aspect of the practice. Roles as attorney, receptionist, intake coordinator, billing department, IT support, marketer, and file clerk can all become part of the workday.

One theme becomes clear quickly: efficiency is not optional. It is survival.

Even modest operational changes can have a significant impact. Improving productivity does not always require additional software or expanded staffing. Thoughtful systems and consistent practices that reduce friction and preserve focus on…
Continue Reading Efficiency is Not Optional: Productivity Tips for Solo and Small Firm Attorneys

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June 19, 2026 – A state program designed to encourage retention of minority students in private and technical colleges failed strict scrutiny under recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent, the Wisconsin Supreme Court decided in Rabiebna v. Higher Educational Aids Board (HEAB), 2026 WI 20 (June 18, 2026).

“We hold that [the] HEAB has failed to demonstrate that the legislature’s goals of increasing diversity and equalizing educational opportunities for certain students are compelling in this instance,” wrote Justice Annette…
Continue Reading Wisconsin Supreme Court: Minority Grant Program Unconstitutional

June 16, 2026 – The Wisconsin Consumer Act (WCA) didn’t apply to a residential lease dispute, the Wisconsin Supreme Court held, reversing the court of appeals in Koble Investments v. Marquardt, 2026 WI 19 (June 5, 2026).

Six members joined the majority opinion written by Justice Rebecca Grassl Bradley, who concluded “Wis. Stat. § 427.104 does not govern a residential lease under which rent is payable on a monthly basis because it is not an ‘agreement to…
Continue Reading Wisconsin Supreme Court: Consumer Act Didn’t Apply to Lease

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

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In April 2026, Governor Evers signed into law two significant bills addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

The Wisconsin Legislature, alongside the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), has worked on PFAS-legislation for the past decade, and on the newly enacted 2025 Wis. Act 200 and 2025 Wis. Act 201 since March 2025. Acts 200 and 201 create exemptions under the state Spills Law, establish new PFAS grant programs and funding allocations, and expand the ​DNR’s​ responsibilities related to…
Continue Reading Wisconsin Addresses PFAS Contamination and Creates Exemptions

June 5, 2026 – A City of Milwaukee election official wanted to show it’s easy to fraudulently obtain absentee military ballots.

In succeeding, she committed election fraud, the District I Wisconsin Court of Appeals affirmed in State v. Zapata, No. 2025AP425-CR (May 12, 2026).

“We conclude that Wis. Stat. § 12.13(3)(i) prohibits making false statements for the purpose of actually or constructively obtaining an absentee ballot, and [Kimberly D.] Zapata constructively obtained the ballots she requested,” wrote…
Continue Reading Wisconsin Court of Appeals: Intent Didn’t Prevent Election Fraud

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Nonresident Wisconsin lawyers in Minnesota gathered for an outing in Minneapolis on May 12. The NRLD seeks leaders to help organize events for chapters around the U.S.

With almost 30 percent of its members residing and practicing outside the State of Wisconsin, the State Bar created the Nonresident Lawyers Division (NRLD) as a mechanism to keep its members connected and involved, and their ties to Wisconsin active and based on real professional links.

The NRLD ensures the State Bar’s…
Continue Reading NRLD Seeks Chapter Leaders

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The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification 2.0 (CMMC 2.0) is a Department of Defense (DoD) initiated standard meant to assess defense contractor compliance with existing information safeguarding requirements for federal contract information (FCI), as defined in section 4.1901 of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), and controlled unclassified information (CUI), as outlined in Title 32 CFR 2002.4(h). The Rule requires all entities who store information classified as FCI or CUI to comply with cybersecurity standards set in CMMC 2.0. The Issue…
Continue Reading Beyond Cybersecurity: The Business and Legal Risks of CMMC 2.0

I want to begin by sharing my experience navigating the law school hiring cycle. During 1L, I was fortunate to be accepted into the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Diversity Clerkship Program. I applied and interviewed in January 2024, was accepted into the program in February, interviewed with employers shortly afterward, and ultimately secured a placement in March. In 2024, that was incredibly fast. I withdrew applications from several employers who would not even begin reviewing applications until late March.
Continue Reading The Accelerated Law School Hiring Cycle Hurts Our Profession

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When a workplace injury occurs, the legal response often begins with worker’s compensation. But for both employers and employees, that is rarely the end of the story. As medical restrictions continue or evolve, the same set of facts can implicate worker’s compensation law, the ADA and Wisconsin Fair Employment Act (WFEA), and federal and state leave statutes at the same time. Understanding this overlap matters because the legal risks and the practical expectations look very different depending on which…
Continue Reading Navigating Workplace Injury Obligations for Employers and Employees in Wisconsin

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Earlier this month, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed two executive orders: Executive Order #287, creating an advisory board to review applications for commutations, and Executive Order #288, creating a specific process for commutation requests from people who were sentenced to life imprisonment while they were juveniles.

The Wisconsin Constitution grants the governor the power to issue commutations and pardons, but unlike the pardon power, which Gov. Evers has exercised since creating a Pardon Advisory Board in 2019,…
Continue Reading Commutations in Wisconsin: A Rare Opportunity for Relief

Many lawyers are not aware of website accessibility. Oftentimes a lawyer’s exposure to the issue of website accessibility is communications from a client receiving a letter stating that their website is not accessible or dealing with a potential lawsuit.

Unfortunately, due to the frequency of dealing with these letters and the often quick settlements, these letters have attracted a reputation as being filed by lawyers interested in nuisance settlements. However, that is frequently not the case, and a particular…
Continue Reading Why Website Accessibility Should Be on Every Lawyer’s Radar