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USA@250: Perspectives on the Declaration of Independence on the Semiquincentennial

Essays from State Bar of Wisconsin members form a rich and varied conversation – one that underscores the enduring relevance of the Declaration of Independence and the continuing responsibility of the legal profession to help bring its ideals closer to reality.

Wisconsin: The Path from Independence to Statehood, 1776-1848

Wisconsin's road to statehood was paved with territorial courts, land laws, constitutional experiments, and the radical promise of eventual equality with the Union. But the same legal order that made statehood possible also accelerated the displacement of Native Nations whose lands made that future possible.

By Joseph A. Ranney

Top 10 Reasons You Should Pay Attention to the Wisconsin Constitution

Two Wisconsin Supreme Court justices highlight their top 10 reasons the Wisconsin Constitution can be useful to lawyers in their advocacy for clients.

By Justice Rebecca Frank Dallet & Justice Brian K. Hagedorn

USA at 250: The Promise, the Practice, and the Lawyer's Role

The rule of law is not inherited; it is earned. 250 years after the Declaration of Independence, the question is not whether the founders got it right. The question is whether we are prepared to do the work they left unfinished.

By Daniel Cotter

Opinions, Voices & Ideas

Editor's Note
A Special Issue
Joe Forward introduces this month's issue recognizing the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a special issue envisioned by State Bar President Dan Gartzke. Read the many perspectives and join the celebration of our nation's founding this July 4.

President's Message
The Path We Follow
As he ends his term as State Bar president, Dan Gartzke advises lawyers to always pay attention to where you are, professionally and otherwise, because it shapes where you will go in ways you might not anticipate.

Your State Bar
Sustaining Confidence. Impacting Culture.
Jill Rothstein invites members to reflect with her on our roles as lawyers, leaders, and lovers of the law, and how we can strengthen that trust.

Ethics
Duties to Clients When Others Pay for the Legal Services
Dean Dietrich says a lawyer can be paid by a third party who is not the subject of the representation but only if the lawyer provides independent professional judgment to the designated client and there is no interference by the paying party into the attorney-client relationship.

Managing Risk
Knowing Your Limits: A Lesson from the Track (and the Law Office)
Not every race is meant for every runner. And truth be told, Matthew Beier says, that's a lesson most lawyers need to learn as well, because there's a difference between diligence and overextension. Our rules of professional conduct spell that out very clearly.

Rotunda Report
2025-26 Wisconsin Legislature: Board of Governors & Section Advocacy Lobbying Highlights
The State Bar's government relations team reports on successes this year and remaining commitments to legislation with fiscal impacts, such as advocating for more support for public defenders and district attorneys and their staff.

Final Thought
The Declaration of Independence: A North Star for Every Generation
The Declaration articulated an ideal that has challenged this country for every generation to do better – to strive toward a more perfect union. Chief Justice Jill Karofsky says that is part of its power, and lawyers have always been central to that work.