News & Pubs Archive

After former Gov. Scott Walker’s 2018 election defeat, the legislature enacted – and Gov. Walker signed – two major laws impacting the power and authority of the legislative and executive branches. Today, the state supreme court largely upheld them.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled (4-1) that a police officer did not violate a driver’s constitutional rights by asking him to exit the vehicle and searching him before issuing him a traffic citation for failure to wear a seatbelt.

A unanimous Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled that Milwaukee sheriff’s deputies violated a driver’s Fourth Amendment rights when they seized his vehicle and conducted an inventory search before transferring it to an impound lot.

In a case of first impression, the Wisconsin Supreme Court majority (4-3) ruled that a judge violated a litigant’s due process rights by accepting a Facebook “friend” request from a litigant in a pending child custody case.

You can combat racism with steps both large and small, say leaders in Wisconsin's legal community. Find out more about the steps you can take as a lawyer and as an individual, as well as in your firm or organization, to build and maintain momentum toward equal justice.

A criminal defendant sued his criminal defense lawyer for legal malpractice, claiming the lawyer failed to raise an affirmative defense. Recently, the Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected his claim because he could not prove his innocence.

What can the State Bar of Wisconsin do to combat racial injustice, advance equal justice, and promote diversity and inclusion? The State Bar’s Board of Governors discussed the question yesterday at its last meeting of the fiscal year.

It is my great pleasure to welcome Daniel P. Tokaji as the new U.W. Law School Dean. I look forward to continuing our strong partnership with the law school as he leads its faculty and students into the future.

We must now work together to help rebuild the public’s trust and confidence in the rule of law while at the same time work to ensure that all Wisconsin residents have access to a fair and impartial system of justice.

The U.S. Supreme Court today denied a petition for writ of certiorari in a case challenging the mandatory status of the State Bar of Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court today issued orders concerning jury trials, suspension of statutory deadlines for non-criminal jury trials, remote hearings in trial and appellate courts, filing documents, court operations, and reopening courts.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court issued a 4-3 decision yesterday blocking an extension of a statewide safe-at-home order that was set to expire May 26, meaning the statewide order impacting individuals and businesses is no longer in effect.

In the age of the coronavirus, the State Bar's Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) is a great way to expand your practice and bring new clients to your (virtual) doorstep. Join now and get May and June free.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has extended, through May 22, a temporary order allowing court reporters to take depositions remotely, outside the physical presence of a witness, in light of the existing public health emergency.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has unanimously upheld a jury verdict in favor of a physician facing a medical malpractice claim that alleged the doctor did not accurately trace a baby’s heart rate during child birth, causing injury.

Cheryl Daniels of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection in Madison is the next president-elect of the State Bar of Wisconsin. Here are results for State Bar officer and Board of Governors' elections for 2020-21.

April 23, 2020 – Current State Bar of Wisconsin membership cards, which serve as documentary evidence of an individual’s authorization to practice law in Wisconsin, will not expire until Sept. 30, 2020, under an order issued by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature has challenged an emergency order that extends the statewide “safe-at-home” order issued by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) to May 26, 2020.

Time is running out to cast your electronic ballot for State Bar of Wisconsin leadership positions, including State Bar president-elect. The deadline is this Friday, April 24, at noon.

Establishing a constructive trust could be a remedy to hold life insurance proceeds for a decedent’s minor children, a Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled, but the circuit court must first examine the relevant facts to make that decision.