Wisconsin public defenders are on pace to receive pay parity with state prosecutors. The state Senate on Tuesday passed an amended version of Senate Bill 468 to provide a pay-progression plan for assistant state public defenders.

The Wisconsin Public Defenders Office revealed at a hearing on Thursday that it's struggling to find candidates for public defender positions.

A discrepancy in pay for prosecutors and public defenders is threatening to tip the scales of justice in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office is again asking the state Legislature and Gov. Scott Walker to increase the pay rate for private bar attorneys appointed to take cases for the agency.

State lawyers affected by a proposed attorney pay-progression plan won’t receive the 1 percent raise approved by committee Wednesday for most state and University of Wisconsin workers.

Certain state lawyers’ salaries would progress through a 17-step system until they reach a maximum of $119,471 a year under a provision adopted by lawmakers in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

A pay progression plan for prosecutors and limitations on plaintiff recovery in employment discrimination cases are now law after Gov. Scott Walker signed the separate proposals Thursday.

Legislation to establish a pay progression plan for Wisconsin prosecutors is a signature away from becoming law, but absent financial backing from the state, it is little more than an empty promise.

Three state Senate proposals that could affect the legal community are still standing as the Legislature nears the end of its regular session March 15.

A legislative proposal authorizing county prosecutor raises is aimed at helping local offices retain talent. But some district attorneys argue the plan will leave them shorthanded.