Maintaining your law license
To maintain a law license in Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Supreme Court imposes certain requirements, as outlined in the Supreme Court Rules. Those requirements include maintaining membership in the State Bar of Wisconsin and complying with the conditions of such membership, fulfilling continuing legal education requirements, and adhering to its Rules of Professional Conduct.
Wisconsin's mandatory continuing legal education requirements
The Board of Bar Examiners, an agency of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, monitors lawyer compliance with SCR Chapter 31, the rules outlining the continuing legal education attendance and reporting requirements for Wisconsin-licensed lawyers.
The following answers some of the most frequently asked questions related to compliance to these rules; however, this information is no substitute for reading the rules. Address questions about the rules directly to the Board of Bar Examiners, 110 E. Main St., Ste. 715, Madison, WI 53703-3328, (608) 266-9760, fax: (608) 266-1196. The BBE maintains a searchable database of approved CLE courses for reference.
FAQs about Wisconsin's mandatory CLE requirements:
Track your CLE attendance through My CLE Tracker
WisBar offers a convenient way to track your CLE seminar attendance in one place. Go to My State Bar to access My CLE Tracker. My CLE Tracker allows you to view your history of CLE credits attended through the State Bar and edit your history to add seminars attended through other providers.
To access your CLE history, log in, if you have not already done so. (You will find Log In on top, right-hand side of WisBar.) Once you've logged in, go to myStateBar (also on the upper right corner of WisBar), and locate My CLE Tracker. To view your CLE seminar and credit detail, choose a reporting period or date range under View/Edit My CLE History, then Submit. Here, you can edit the CLE hours you've attended through State Bar CLE Seminars, if different from the full program credit hours noted, and add seminars you've attended through other providers.
Using this tool to track your CLE seminars may help expedite completing CLE Form 1, the form you must file biennially with the Board of Bar Examiners to report your CLE compliance.
Related links
Highlights
- Ethics help: Find the help you need to navigate Wisconsin's Rules of Professional Conduct for Attorneys. More
- State Bar members can save 15% on hundreds of ABA titles. Click here for more information
Lawyer regulation
- Ethics advice
- Ethics opinions
- Lawyer regulation & discipline
- Law firm regulation
- Maintaining your license
- Admission to practice
