“You got to fill out the form first, and then you wait in the line.” Paul Simon wrote that in a recent song, “The Afterlife,” describing his vision of heaven’s waiting room. But if you’re new to the practice of law in Wisconsin, that sentiment could apply to your new work, too. Since 2000, the Wisconsin Court System has mandated ...

The push to abolish the mandatory State Bar suffered a setback Wednesday when the Wisconsin Supreme Court denied a petition to make the organization voluntary. By a 4-3 vote, the court decided that the proposal submitted Feb. 11 by attorneys Steve Levine and Jim Thiel lacked enough detail to warrant a public hearing. “Where are we going on this?” asked ...

Absent spending cuts, the State Bar of Wisconsin is projecting a $360,000 deficit as of June 30, the end of its fiscal year. The lapse is largely due to significant drops in revenue, particularly in the seminars division, which is projected to bring in $460,000 less than planned due to sagging attendance at a variety of State Bar offerings. The ...

The State Bar is operating in a gray area, a past leader of the group alleges, until it defines its role more clearly.

In the wake of a subscriber complaint of censorship, the State Bar has decided to revise policies for its popular member list serves. Bar staff members met Monday about policing the e-mail discussion groups, which are a State Bar member benefit and cover section topics such as elder law and practice management. Though the bar on its website states it ...

In the wake of a subscriber complaint, the State Bar on Monday is addressing censorship on its member list serves. The e-mail discussion groups are a popular State Bar member benefit and cover section topics such as elder law and practice management. Though the bar on its website states it does not actively monitor the discussion lists, members such as ...

Attorneys who want to keep up with Board of Governors' meetings have no choice currently but to attend in person.

If Wisconsin attorneys fail to pay their bar dues by the Oct. 31 final deadline, the state bar website will show them as suspended - even if the bar hasn't formally suspended them.

The State Bar's use of mandatory dues to fund the Public Image Campaign did not violate the First Amendment.