Dan 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, who
Continue Reading Dan Gartzke Sworn in as State Bar’s 70th President: 'Mentorship Helps Us Now'
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State Bar Board Bids Farewell to Fiscal Year 2025 and Prepares for the New Year
From left, current State Bar President Ryan Billings, incoming President Dan Gartzke, and Immediate Past President Dean Dietrich at Board of Governors meeting in Madison.
June 18, 2025 – While the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Board of Governors (Board) bid farewell to several members, and to retiring Executive Director Larry Martin, the Board also selected individuals for leadership positions in the new fiscal year, which begins July 1. Kicking off the
2025 Annual Meeting and Conference at the Monona
Continue Reading State Bar Board Bids Farewell to Fiscal Year 2025 and Prepares for the New Year
State Bar of Wisconsin Welcomes 22 New Wisconsin Lawyers
May 2, 2025 – Some of Wisconsin’s newest lawyers include those fulfilling long-held dreams.
Twenty-two new Wisconsin lawyers were admitted in a ceremony before the Wisconsin Supreme Court on April 23, 2025, taking the Attorney’s Oath and signing the Wisconsin Supreme Court Roll book as the final steps to be admitted.
Jacquelynn B. Rothstein, director of the Board of Bar Examiners, said 41% of the 66 individuals who took the bar exam in February passed it, and 55% of
Continue Reading State Bar of Wisconsin Welcomes 22 New Wisconsin Lawyers
Checks and Balances: Embracing Our Patriotic Skepticism
May 1, 2025 – On Law Day (established by President Eisenhower to celebrate the rule of law and observed annually on May 1) I think about the colonial rebels who risked their lives to create a better society. I admire their brave fight for independence. I equally admire the government they created when the war was won.
Ryan M. Billings, Harvard 2004, is a litigator at Kohner, Mann & Kailas S.C., Milwaukee, and chairs the firm’s business
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State Bar President-elect Post Goes to Stephen Sawyer
April 28, 2025 – Stephen Sawyer is the next president-elect of the State Bar of Wisconsin.
In the elections ending April 25, 2025, Stephen Sawyer earned the position of president-elect over Johanna Kirk by 1,211 votes to 1,099.
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, 2025.
Sawyer (Notre Dame 1996) is with Sawyer Law LLC in Stevens Point.
“I am very
Continue Reading State Bar President-elect Post Goes to Stephen Sawyer
State Bar Board Selects Next Executive Director, Approves FY 2026 Budget, Takes Other Action
The State Bar’s Board of Governors invited Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Brian Hagedorn to give opening remarks at the Board’s meeting on April 11, 2025. He discussed the high cost of entering the legal profession coupled with the problem of legal deserts, and ideas to consider. He also discussed the politicization of the bar and other institutions, and threats to the constitutional order. Photos: Shannon Green.
April 14, 2025 – Jill Creston Rothstein will become the State Bar of
Continue Reading State Bar Board Selects Next Executive Director, Approves FY 2026 Budget, Takes Other Action
Jill Creston Rothstein Selected as Next Executive Director for the State Bar of Wisconsin
April 11, 2025 – The State Bar of Wisconsin’s 53-member Board of Governors today selected Jill Creston Rothstein as the State Bar’s next Executive Director. Rothstein, currently general counsel for the South Carolina Bar, will succeed Larry J. Martin, who is retiring effective Sept. 2, 2025.
“Jill is brilliant, curious and thoughtful, pairing a strong analytical mind with a deep passion for lawyers and the good works that bar associations do,” said State Bar President Ryan Billings, chair of
Continue Reading Jill Creston Rothstein Selected as Next Executive Director for the State Bar of Wisconsin
State Bar Thanks Chief Justice Ziegler, Welcomes New Chiefs, A.W. Bradley and Karofsky
Justice Ann Walsh Bradley
April 3, 2025 – The Wisconsin Supreme Court today elected Justice Ann Walsh Bradley to serve as chief justice, effective May 1, 2025. On June 30, 2025, she will step down as chief before retiring on July 31, 2025. Justice Jill Karofsky, also elected, will fill the remaining two-year term as chief justice.
Justice A.W. Bradley and Justice Karofsky succeed Chief Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler, who has served as chief justice for the last four
Continue Reading State Bar Thanks Chief Justice Ziegler, Welcomes New Chiefs, A.W. Bradley and Karofsky
State Bar Board Defers Action on Proposal for More Access to Online Court Records
Photo from September 2024 State Bar of Wisconsin Board of Governors meeting. From left: Chairperson Melodie Wiseman, Past-president Dean Dietrich, and Secretary Martina Rae Gast.March 3, 2025 –The State Bar of Wisconsin’s 52-member Board of Governors (Board) in a virtual meeting Friday, Feb. 28, approved a motion to defer action on a proposal for a pilot project to expand lawyer access to court filings on the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) website.
The Bankruptcy Insolvency and Creditors Rights (BICR)
Continue Reading State Bar Board Defers Action on Proposal for More Access to Online Court Records
State Bar Board Discusses Proposal to Expand Attorney Access to Online Court Records, Takes Other Actions
Ben Payne, chair-elect of the State Bar BICR section, presented a proposal to expand attorneys’ online access to court records to the State Bar Board of Governors.
Dec. 10, 2024 – The State Bar of Wisconsin’s 53-member Board of Governors (Board) recently discussed – but took no action on – a proposal from the State Bar Bankruptcy, Insolvency and Creditors Rights (BICR) Section to expand attorneys’ online access to court records.
BICR’s proposal, submitted for discussion at the Board’s
Continue Reading State Bar Board Discusses Proposal to Expand Attorney Access to Online Court Records, Takes Other Actions
Petition to Increase $50 PILFS Fee: State Bar Will Present Survey Findings to Court
At the Board of Governors December meeting, State Bar President Ryan Billings speaks on a proposed increase to the fee that lawyers pay towards the public legal interest services fund (PILSF).
Dec. 9, 2024 – The State Bar of Wisconsin will soon present – to the Wisconsin Supreme Court – the results of a survey that asked if State Bar members would support or oppose increases to the fee that lawyers pay towards the public legal interest services fund
Continue Reading Petition to Increase $50 PILFS Fee: State Bar Will Present Survey Findings to Court
Retired Supreme Court Justice David Prosser Dies at 81
Dec. 2, 2024 – David T. Prosser Jr., former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice, passed away Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, at age 81.
Justice Prosser served 18 years on the court, from 1998 to 2016. He was appointed by Gov. Tommy G. Thompson, and subsequently was elected to 10-year terms in 2001 and 2011.
“Justice Prosser was the quintessential public servant who enjoyed a respected career (spanning more than 40 years) in the service of others,” said Wisconsin Supreme Court
Continue Reading Retired Supreme Court Justice David Prosser Dies at 81
A Message of Appreciation to Wisconsin’s Legal Community
Nov. 27, 2024 – As we approach Thanksgiving and the holiday season, we reflect on our commitment to upholding justice and the rule of law. Each of you – lawyers, judges, and justices – play a critical role in maintaining fairness and trust in our legal system. Together, you help ensure that our shared legal values remain steadfast in Wisconsin.
In this season of gratitude, we extend our deepest thanks to each of you for your dedication, integrity, and
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State of the Judiciary: Chief Justice Ziegler Highlights Lawyer Shortage, Judicial Security
Nov. 14, 2024 – The Wisconsin judiciary is strong but “not without its challenges,” said Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Annette Kingsland Ziegler in her State of the Judiciary Address at the Wisconsin Judicial Conference in Elkhart Lake yesterday (Nov. 13).
In her fourth address as chief justice, Zeigler outlined issues of ongoing concern for the Wisconsin court system, highlighted progress over the past year, and identified a new challenge: Wisconsin’s attorney shortage, especially in rural parts of the
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State Bar President-elect Post Goes to Dan Gartzke
Oct. 28, 2024 – Dan D. Gartzke is elected president-elect of the State Bar of Wisconsin.
In a special election that closed at noon on Friday, Oct. 24, 2024, Gartzke defeated David Lasker of Mauston by 1,417 votes to 1,006.
Gartzke (U.W. 1986) practices family law with Boardman & Clark LLP in Madison.
Gartzke immediately becomes president-elect, filling a vacancy in the position, followed by a one-year term as president starting on July 1, 2025, and a one-year term
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Wisconsin Supreme Court Order Discontinues Business Court Pilot Project
Oct. 8, 2024 – A 7-year pilot project that established circuit court dockets solely for large claim business and commercial cases in numerous counties will phase out,
under an order the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued Oct. 7, with three justices dissenting.
In 2017, under then-Chief Justice Patience Roggensack, the Wisconsin Supreme Court initially established the “commercial court docket,” or business court, as a temporary 3-year pilot project rolled out in eight counties – Brown, Door, Kewaunee, Marinette, Oconto,
Continue Reading Wisconsin Supreme Court Order Discontinues Business Court Pilot Project