Plenary Sessions
Thursday Opening Plenary Session
June 19, 2025
Multistate Litigation Against the Federal Government
There has been a recent flurry of multistate legal challenges to federal government actions. Join us for a keynote presentation in which Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul will answer questions relating to some of the multistate cases in which the Wisconsin Department of Justice is involved.
Presenter:
Attorney General Josh Kaul
Wisconsin Department of Justice
Madison
Friday Opening Plenary Session
JUNE 20, 2025
A Day in the Life of the Ethics Hotline: Calling All Conflicts
Dial in for a lively and interactive session as we pull back the curtain on the ethics hotline in action! Join Tim Pierce and Sarah Peterson as they tackle real-world conflict-of-interest questions, guided by the dynamic narration of Tom Watson and his signature radio voice.
From the first morning call to a backlog of voicemails, experience the fast-paced world of ethics inquiries. Audience members can participate by “calling in" with pre-scripted questions, each addressing different aspects of conflicts and other topics. Plus, we'll highlight the limits of the hotline with a question even Tim and Sarah can't answer. Will they hang up?
Walk away with a sharper understanding of navigating conflicts in various legal settings while enjoying a uniquely engaging and entertaining presentation.
Presenters:
Sarah E. Peterson
State Bar of Wisconsin
Madison
Timothy J. Pierce
State Bar of Wisconsin
Madison
Thomas J. Watson
Wisconsin Lawyers Mutual Insurance Co.
Madison
Friday Closing Plenary Session
JUNE 20, 2025
The End of Deference?
Tetra Tech, Loper Bright, and Judicial Review of Agency Decisions
Mark Twain once quipped, “The report of my death was an exaggeration." Does the same hold true for judicial deference to agency decisions?
Join jurists and scholars on the front lines of judicial review as we explore this question and its future implications. In its 2024 decision in
Loper Bright, which overturned Chevron, the U.S. Supreme Court directed federal courts to rely on standard interpretive tools to determine the meaning of ambiguous statutes rather than deferring to agencies' legal interpretations. But how should judges proceed when Congress is silent or intentionally vague on a particular issue?
Wisconsin court decisions may be illustrative of what's to come—the Wisconsin Supreme Court's 2018 decision in
Tetra Tech, established Wisconsin as a
Chevron-free zone six years before
Loper Bright.
Whether you're a judge or an attorney, understand how to navigate the post-Chevron landscape and the future of agency deference.
Moderator:
James E. Goldschmidt
Quarles & Brady LLP
Milwaukee
Panelists include:
Hon. Shelley J. Gaylord (Ret.)
Dane County Circuit Court
Madison
Former Chief Justice Patience D. Roggensack (Ret.)
Wisconsin Supreme Court
Madison
Professor James B. Speta
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law
Chicago, IL
