Plenary Sessions
Thursday Opening Plenary
June 11, 2026
8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Addressing Wisconsin’s Lawyer Shortage: Lessons from Other States
Wisconsin’s lawyer shortage isn’t just a rural issue—it’s part of a national challenge with systemwide conflicts. When cases can’t be fully developed or defended, delays increase and outcomes unevenly shape statewide precedent. Join leaders from the judiciary, national legal services, and academia to examine why lawyer distribution affects every lawyer, firm, and court—and to explore how strategies being tested in other states may offer practical insights and potential solutions to Wisconsin’s challenges.
You’ll explore:
- The economic consequences of lawyer shortages and limited resources, including court inefficiencies, downstream costs, and the long-term impact of unchallenged decisions
- How gaps in representation influence the cases you inherit, the precedent you rely on, and the markets your firm serves, regardless of where you practice
- What research shows about recruiting lawyers, and what determines whether they build lasting practices
- Why lawyer availability matters to firm growth, referral networks, and the ability to expand or maintain operations in different parts of the state
- Innovative responses nationwide, including rule changes and the strategic use of technology in regions with lawyer shortages
- Best practices for sustaining rural law practices and how those lessons translate to all Wisconsin firms, regardless of geographic location
Come away with practical insights you can apply in law firms, legal services organizations, and communities working to strengthen justice systems across Wisconsin for the long haul.
Presenter Prof. Hannah Haksgaard will have a book signing in the plenary room after the opening plenary session. Order the book now to have it signed during AMC:
The Rural Lawyer: How to Incentivize Rural Law Practice and Help Small Communities Thrive.
Moderator:
Rebecca Rapp
Ascendium Education Group
Madison
Presenters:
Hon. Joel H. Bolger
Former Chief Justice, Alaska Supreme Court
Anchorage, AK
Prof. Hannah Haksgaard
University of South Dakota, Knudson School of Law
Vermillion, SD
Fr. Pius Pietrzyk, O.P.
Legal Services Corporation
New York, NY
Friday Opening Plenary
June 12, 2026
8:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
A Day in the Life of the Ethics Hotline: Answers to Questions Not Answered by the Rules
You’ve scoured the Rules (twice). You even checked the comments. But you still can’t find the answer to your ethics question anywhere.
Dial into the ethics hotline for a lively, behind-the-scenes look at how State Bar of Wisconsin ethics counsel tackle the questions with no easy answers. With Tom Watson and his trademark on-air presence at the mic, you’ll experience the hotline as if you’ve tuned in mid-shift—calls coming in, issues stacking up, answers taking shape.
Expect planted callers, audience participation, and a candid look at opinions, rules, and resources, with plenty of practical judgment to guide the analysis. You’ll leave with answers to some frequently asked questions and a better sense of what to do when the Rules of Professional Conduct don’t spell it out.
Moderator:
Thomas J. Watson
Wisconsin Lawyer Mutual Insurance Co.
Madison
Panelists:
Sarah E. Peterson
State Bar of Wisconsin
Madison
Timothy J. Pierce
State Bar of Wisconsin
Madison
Friday Closing Plenary
June 12, 2026
11:00 a.m. to 12:25 p.m.
We Hold These Truths: The Declaration at 250
A Conversation with Wisconsin’s Supreme Court Justices
Written two hundred fifty years ago, the Declaration of Independence made a bold claim: that all are created equal and endowed with unalienable rights, and that government derives its authority from the consent of the governed. Those words were revolutionary in 1776. They remain consequential in 2026, framing the enduring task of securing liberty under law.
Our closing plenary session features a distinguished panel of Wisconsin Supreme Court justices, who will lead an exploration of the Declaration’s legal and civic legacy.
Join the justices to examine the role lawyers have played in advancing its principles, and the profession's continuing role in sustaining the American experiment. In marking this anniversary, we reflect not only on where we began as a nation but also on what it means to continue the work of self-government.
Moderators:
Dean Joseph Kearney
Marquette University Law School
Milwaukee
Dean Daniel Tokaji
University of Wisconsin Law School
Madison
Panelists:
Chief Justice Jill J. Karofsky
Wisconsin Supreme Court
Madison
Hon. Susan M. Crawford
Wisconsin Supreme Court
Madison
Hon. Rebecca Frank Dallet
Wisconsin Supreme Court
Madison
Hon. Brian Hagedorn
Wisconsin Supreme Court
Madison
Hon. Janet C. Protasiewicz
Wisconsin Supreme Court
Madison