BOG to replace governor, vote on conditional admission petition

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The Wisconsin State Bar Board of Governors will meet Friday to vote on replacing a governor and decide whether to back changes proposed for conditional-admission policies, among other things.

The board is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. at the State Bar Center, 5302 Eastpark Blvd., Madison.

The board will vote on who will replace Gov. Catherine Dorl, who recently resigned. Dorl’s election to the board came earlier this year. Governors from District 9 will present a recommendation for an appointee to fill the rest of Dorl’s term, which ends in June 2018.

The board will also vote on whether to back a proposal by the Board of Bar Examiners to make changes to the procedures for conditionally admitting lawyers to practice in the state. Lawyers often seek a conditional admission after they’ve violated professional and ethical rules and been disciplined.

To be conditionally admitted, lawyers usually must agree to meet certain conditions such as drug-test monitoring or supervision by another member of the bar. The proposal to be considered this week would let the high court consult filed documents or appoint a referee when deciding whether conditional admission is appropriate.

The board is also asking the court to create reinstatement procedures for lawyers who lose their conditional admission. Judges and the State Bar would have to be notified when a conditionally admitted lawyer is suspended or an agreement is revoked.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court is scheduled to discuss the petition on Thursday.

Besides conditional admissions and the possibility of replacing a governor, the Board of Governors is scheduled on Friday to hear a report on the progress of developing a bar-administered paralegal-certification program and a report on a proposal to create business courts in the states. Follow @erikastrebel