Dec. 3, 2025 – Year-end does not have to mean “catch-up crunch” for CLE. With December programs on tax reform, appellate-level writing, business litigation trends, and constitutional developments, you can update your knowledge, meet credit needs, and head into 2026 with renewed confidence in your practice.
Are these areas outside your practice? Here’s a link to help you see what else is going on in December.
Wondering what CLE credits you still need before your reporting period is up? Check out the “Wisconsin Lawyer’s Guide to Earning, Tracking, and Reporting CLE.”
6.0 CLE and 1.0 EPR; in person at The Ingleside Hotel in Pewaukee and via webcast 8:30 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, and via webcast seminar on specific dates through Feb. 17, 2026.
Federal reform, new agency guidance, and state-level changes are making the 2025 tax year feel like a pop quiz in constant motion.
The 76th Annual Tax School puts the pros at the head of the class to walk you through what’s changed, why it matters, and how to prepare your clients for the year ahead.
Hear directly from the IRS Office of Chief Counsel on best practices for Tax Court litigation and close out the day with insights from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR). Along the way, you’ll receive practical analysis and guidance that you can immediately put to work for your clients.
You’ll explore:
new provisions from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and their impact on individuals and businesses;
key federal tax cases and agency guidance issued in 2025;
timely practice and ethics issues from both the IRS and DOR;
how to guide clients through discovery, trial, and appeals in the U.S. Tax Court; and
state-specific updates impacting Wisconsin clients.
3.5 CLE; in person at the State Bar Center in Madison and via webcast 8:30 to 11:45 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, and via webcast seminar on specific dates through Feb. 20, 2026.
A well-written appellate brief can drop the mic; a clumsy one just drops the ball. Strong writing not only captures attention but also frames the issues and builds judicial confidence. Still, even experienced lawyers sometimes fall short with clunky introductions, recycled and unpersuasive reply briefs, or formatting choices that muddle clarity.
You’ll gain fresh techniques from superstar legal writers and insider insights from the bench. Learn how to sharpen your writing style, structure arguments for maximum impact, and eliminate the distractions that leave your readers searching for context.
You’ll explore strategies for:
opening briefs and motions with introductions that command attention;
using sentence structure, verb choice, and transitions to boost persuasive power;
applying formatting tools like bullet points and em dashes without undermining clarity; and
crafting reply briefs that advance, rather than echo, your original argument.
Get candid guidance from the bench on what judges value most in legal writing. You’ll also find out which habits, like stretching facts or including irrelevant details, risk undermining your credibility with the court.
8.0 CLE and 1 EPR; in person at the State Bar Center in Madison and via webcast 8:30 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, and via webcast seminar on specific dates through Feb. 11, 2026.
From high-stakes data breaches to employee-raiding, today’s business litigation landscape is more complex than ever. Each year brings a new wave of precedent-setting decisions, creative claims, and procedural shifts that alter how Wisconsin attorneys advise business clients.
Trending Topics in Business Litigation 2025 is your authoritative guide to today’s most pressing issues in business law and practice. You’ll receive invaluable insights from candid panel discussions focusing on what’s changing now and what you’ll need immediately in your litigation toolkit.
What you’ll learn:
the current status and future trajectory of the economic loss doctrine;
liability and damages theories in unfair competition disputes;
new developments in Wisconsin’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act and §100.18 claims;
practical guidance on litigating trade secret cases without direct evidence;
alternatives to contract claims, including promissory estoppel and unjust enrichment; and
the latest appellate rulings impacting business and commercial litigation.
This year’s program concludes with a timely ethics segment examining the use of generative AI in legal research, confidentiality issues in the public relations context, and the boundaries of professional responsibility.
6.0 CLE; in person at the State Bar Center in Madison and via webcast 8:30 a.m. to 2:55 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, and via webcast seminar on specific dates through Feb. 17, 2026.
From state redistricting fights to challenges over nationwide injunctions, constitutional disputes test the balance of power between branches of government and the limits of governmental authority over individuals. Recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings have altered laws, policies, and daily life in communities across the country. For attorneys, each ruling recalibrates strategies and advice to clients. Seeing the connection between these developments is crucial for anticipating the arguments they’ll invite.
The Annual Constitutional Law Symposium 2025 brings together leading practitioners to dissect the most consequential cases and trends shaping constitutional interpretation. You’ll hear analysis of both high-profile Supreme Court decisions and lesser-known rulings that are likely to influence litigation tactics, policymaking, and client counseling in the years ahead.
You’ll explore:
the ongoing relevance of Buck v. Bell and its implications for privacy rights;
how Louisiana v. Callais may alter voting rights and redistricting challenges;
the consequences of City of Grants Pass v. Johnson for public property use and homelessness ordinances;
the constitutional footing of executive orders and nationwide injunctions;
key U.S. Supreme Court decisions from the current term; and
developments in corporate constitutional rights and proposed reforms.
The Symposium will also unpack the Court’s use of the “shadow docket” to decide major constitutional questions through emergency orders.
Already affecting immigration, agency independence, and civil rights, these rulings pose urgent challenges for lawyers advising clients in real time.
