Court Updates, Work Resources & More
View up-to-date listings of court and state bar developments, resources for your practice, government orders, and more. Click to jump to a section below.
Meetings and Events - Update
All meetings will be held in a teleconference format indefinitely. Several events have been postponed or canceled. Visit WisBar Marketplace for up-to-date information.
Please contact customer service if you have any questions on changes to these or other events and meetings at (608) 257-3838, (800) 728-7788 (nationwide), or by email at org service wisbar wisbar service org.
Updated July 29, 2020
While these are challenging times, our dedicated team is working just as hard to assist you.
The State Bar is committed to your safety, health, and well-being, as well as that of our team. We are focused on providing continued assistance and services to you as best we can while trying to minimize disruption. Although we are limiting in-person functions, our core programs continue, including support from WisLAP, Practice 411 and the Ethics hotline.
Please note that the State Bar Center is currently closed to non-State Bar employees. Contact customer service if you need assistance at (608) 257-3838 or (800) 728-7788 (nationwide), or by email at org service wisbar wisbar service org.
Ongoing Efforts. The State Bar is actively and regularly monitoring this evolving situation and taking direction from the Center for Disease Control, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and other national and local health organizations. We will continue to make adjustments for our members and staff as the situation warrants. We will keep you informed on the developments on this webpage and in other communication channels.
Webcast Programming Continues
Although the State Bar has indefinitely suspended in-person PINNACLE® programming and meetings, we’ve ramped up the use of technology to keep our members informed and connected. Meanwhile, PINNACLE webcast replays and OnDemand seminars continue as scheduled.
Find a listing of coronavirus-related CLE programming on the WisBar Marketplace.
In lieu of cancellation of in-person seminars, members who were registered to attend in-person PINNACLE seminars may participate via live webcast. Members may also request refunds on any paid in-person event registrations indefinitely.
NEW: Fully searchable and affordable resources on legal topics
PINNpoint Enhanced Course Materials offers attorneys a way to quickly and efficiently learn about a discrete legal topic by providing supplemented course materials from previously-aired PINNACLE-produced webinars. Course materials are created by Wisconsin legal experts and include additional resources for added value.
See the full list of PINNPoint Enhanced Course Materials here.
Titles include:
- COVID-19-Related Hot Topics in Contracts
- Counseling Employers in a Pandemic
- Wisconsin’s Response to COVID-19
- COVID-19: Insurance, Business Continuity, and Other Issues for Business Owners
- COVID-19: Human Resources Considerations from FFCRA and Return-to-Work Planning
- COVID-19: Employee Benefits Issues
- COVID-19: Economic Relief for Small Businesses
- COVID 19: Ethical, Logistical, and Well-Being Considerations for Attorneys
Returning to Work: Resources & Advice
Here is a list of State Bar and other resources to help you on reopening your law firm, including the steps to create the plan best suited for your law firm and for your particular situation.
Read: Coronavirus-related articles from the State Bar
Read: Returning to Work: Creating a Safe Workplace for Employees and Clients, InsideTrack, May 20, 2020
Learn about the guidelines and standards employers should follow to create a safe working environment for employees returning to work sites.
Webcast: Getting Back to Work When Safer at Home Orders Relax 2020, PINNACLE®
Read: Coronavirus & the Law Blog
Check out the latest posts and subscribe to the blog's RSS feed to be notified as new articles are added.
Answers to your questions: Coronavirus & the Law (covid) Elist
This elist is open to all State Bar members across all disciplines and practice areas.
Find help with these additional resources:
Lawyers Can Obtain Up to 30 CLE Credits On-Demand
At the request of the State Bar of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has temporarily eased CLE rules. Through the end of the year, lawyers can now get all 30 credits through on-demand programs.
Lawyers must obtain 30 credits per two-year reporting period. CLE rules limit the number of on-demand CLE credits to 15. However, the court’s temporary order means lawyers who must obtain their 30 credits by the end of this year can obtain all of them through on-demand programs, rather than live in-person or live webcast programs.
Ethics, Business Continuity, and Disaster Planning
If you have confidential questions, please direct those to the Ethics Hotline at (800) 254-9154 or Practice411 at (800) 957-4670. For additional resources, turn to the Wisconsin Law Firm Self-Assessment section on business continuity and disaster planning.
The new blog provides a channel for lawyers to stay informed about what’s happening amidst the pandemic, addressing its impact on the practice of law in Wisconsin and elsewhere.
Members can subscribe to the RSS feed to receive notification when new information is posted.
Free Recordings from Town Hall Forums
Held at the outset of the pandemic, the State Bar hosted 13 town hall forums to provide a place for practitioners to share how they’ve been coping with the abrupt disruptions caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak, and to address questions specific to their practice areas.
To access free recordings of these forums, follow this link to the WisBar Marketplace.
Topics included:
- Bankruptcy, Insolvency, and Creditors’ Rights
- Criminal Law & Appellate Practice
- Elder Law
- Family & Children and the Law
- Government
- Health & Insurance
- Labor and Employment & Business
- Litigation
- Public Interest & Civil Rights & Immigration & International Law
- Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law & Estate Planning
- Solo, Small Firm, & General Practice
- Taxation
- Financial Relief
Wisconsin Court Developments
See the "COVID-19" tab on the Wisconsin Court website for up-to-date information.
Supreme Court Order re Resumption of in-Person Proceedings in Attorney Regulatory Matters (June 8, 2020)
Supreme Court order re Emergency Procedures Related to the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act’s Temporary Moratorium on Eviction Filings (June 5, 2020)
Supreme Court order re Modification of Supreme Court Rule 40.03 (Diploma Privilege) Due to COVID-19 Pandemic (June 1, 2020)
Supreme Court Order re Matter of the Extension of Orders Concerning Remote Administration of Oaths at Depositions, Remote Hearings in Appellate Courts, Filing of Documents in Appellate Courts and Appellate Court Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic (May 22, 2020)
Supreme Court Order re Matter of the Extension of Orders and Interim Rule Concerning Continuation of Jury Trials, Suspension of Statutory Deadlines for Non-Criminal Jury Trials, and Remote Hearings During the COVID-19 Pandemic (May 22, 2020).
Supreme Court Order re Matter of the Final Report of the Wisconsin Courts COVID-19 Task Force (May 22, 2020)
FINAL REPORT: Chief Justice’s Wisconsin Courts COVID-19 Task Force (May 15, 2020)
Supreme Court Order re Emergency Procedures for the Witnessing of Wills, Codicils, Powers of Attorney for Health Care, and Declarations to Health Care Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic (May 4, 2020)
Supreme Court Order re Remote Administration of Oaths at Depositions Via Remote Audio-Visual Equipment During the Covid-19 Pandemic (EXTENSION) (April 28, 2020)
Supreme Court Order re Extension of Expiration of 2020 State Bar of Wisconsin Membership Cards (April 23, 2020)
Supreme Court re Extending Order on Remote Hearings and Clarifying Order for Juvenile Cases (April 15, 2020)
Supreme Court Order re Filing of Court Documents in Circuit and Appellate Courts (Temporary Mailbox Rule) (April 13, 2020)
Supreme Court Order re Appellate Court Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Supplemental Order Regarding Notices of Appearance, Motions, and Responses to Motions (April 8, 2020)
Supreme Court Order re Judicial Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic (April 3, 2020)
Supreme Court Order re Extension of Order on Appellate Court Operations, Deadlines (April 2, 2020)
Supreme Court Order re Remote Administration of Oaths at Depositions Via Remote Audio-Visual Equipment During the Covid-19 Pandemic (March 25, 2020)
Supreme Court Order re Admission to the Bar During The Covid-19 Pandemic (March 25, 2020)
Supreme Court Order re Jury Trials during COVID-19 (March 22, 2020)
Supreme Court Order re Videoconferencing during COVID-19 (March 22, 2020)
Supreme Court Order for Cancellation of 3-30-20 and 4-1-20 Arguments (March 22, 2020)
Circuit Court and Tribal Court Emergency Orders
Wisconsin Court System News Feed
Appellate Courts Remain Operational With Some Limitations in Service (March 18, 2020)
Supreme Court Temporarily Eases CLE Rules, Lawyers Can Get More On-Demand Credits (March 18, 2020)
Supreme Court Issues Order on Appellate Court Operations, Deadlines During Pandemic (March 18, 2020)
Federal Court Developments
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
Other U.S. Court Orders and Updates
Government Orders
State of Wisconsin Executive Orders Page
State of Wisconsin Press Releases
State of Wisconsin Press Releases Page