​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Plenary Sessi​ons​​

Thursday Opening Plenary Session​​

June 19, 2025

U.S. Supreme Court Roundup - Perspectives from Attorney General Josh Kaul

Friday Opening Plena​ry 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 Plena​ry 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. ​