Updated April ​2022

The State Bar's Ongoing Response

Your dedicated State Bar team is continuing to work hard to assist you through these uncertain times.

While the State Bar Center is now open to members, it has limited on-site staff. As a result of the Omicron variant, many staff have returned to working remotely. We are actively monitoring the evolving pandemic, and taking direction from the Center for Disease Control, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and other national 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 State Bar communication channel.

As they have been throughout the pandemic, our programs including support from WisLap, Practice 411​, and the Ethics hotline are available.

Questions related to State Bar operations can be directed to customer Service at (608)257-3838 or (800)728-7728 (nationwide), or by email at service@wisbar.org.

About State Bar Meetings and Events

The following protocols are in effect for in-person State Bar meetings, regardless of where they are held.​

1. The Bar Center is officially open. This includes hosting meetings for:

• ​The Board/Sections/Divisions/Committees
  

• ​Law-related groups
  

• Members making use of Bar Center meeting rooms for depositions, arbitrations, etc. 
  

2. Virtual meetings remain a viable option and may be preferable​ depending on the meeting type, participants and budget.

3. Plan B's are required for all meetings should there be a need to adjust meeting plans based on health conditions. Additionally, the State Bar reserves the right to cancel an in-person meeting if conditions/health orders warrant doing so. 

4. For meetings held in-person:

• ​All attendees will be asked to either be fully vaccinated or have a current negative COVID test taken no more than 48 hours prior to attending any official, in-person, State Bar meeting or event. 
  

• Masks are encouraged.
  

• Groups should work with their staff liaisons on room capacities and set-up options to accommodate the comfort-level of the group. 
  

• Attendees who have recently tested positive for COVID-19 or who have had a "close contact" as defined by the CDC are expected to follow CDC guidelines related to isolation and quarantine. 
  

• Registration fees will be refunded if cancellation is required​ due to a positive COVID-19 test or exposure
  

5. ​ Members may plan meetings to be held at venues outside of the Bar Center as well. Plan B’s should still be in place should there be a need to adjust our plans based on health conditions. Please work with your staff liaison related to outside meeting space.

Note: How Sections and Divisions handle vaccination, testing and masking protocols at their meetings and events is at the discretion of their respective boards. Please see the individual meeting materials for Section/Division-specific protocols.​

CLE Programming

Although the State Bar has indefinitely suspended in-person PINNACLE^® programming, we’ve ramped up the use of technology to keep our members informed and connected. PINNACLE is maintaining a robust level of new Webcast and OnDemand CLE programming.

Find a listing of COVID-related CLE programming on the WisBar Marketplace.

PINNpoint Enhanced Course Materials Offer 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 on WisBar Marketplace.

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

Obtain up to 30 CLE Credits On-Demand Through January 31, 2023

At the request of the State Bar of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2020 temporarily eased CLE rules​, and on Jan. 26, 2021, extended that order for 2021. Through the end of the 2021 reporting period, lawyers were allowed to earn all 30 credits through on-demand programs. On January 11, 2022, the Supreme Court issued another order to extend​ the temporary rule through January 31, 2023, for those attorneys who report in even numbered years.
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Lawyers must obtain 30 credits per two-year reporting period. CLE rules typically 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. See a list of On-Demand CLE programs from PINNACLE.

COVID-19: News, Resources & Advice

Here is a list of State Bar and other resources to help you with your practice and your law firm, as you respond to the ongoing pandemic.

• Find information: Visit WisBar's webpage that curates COVID-related articles in the State Bar's publications. You can also visit the coronavirus channel on WisLawNOW, a community of Wisconsin law bloggers.

• Locate CLE programing:Visit the WisBar Marketplace for CLE seminars, PINNPoint Enhanced Course Materials, and other resources related to the COVID-19 pandemic from PINNACLE.

Additional Resources for your Workplace

• Review statewide guidelines by business type from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

• Check out OSHA’s website for the latest guidance, including the webpage on OSHA's COVID-19 regulations, such as recording workplace exposures to COVID-19.

• See guidelines and information from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

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.

Wisconsin Court Developments

See the Wisconsin Court website and the COVID-19 Orders & Information webpage for up-to-date information.

​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​​
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