Top Story

• • Corporate Transparency Act on Hold for Now
  • The challenge to the Corporate Transparency Act moved rapidly through the federal system in December, resulting in a nationwide injunction that was briefly vacated then reinstated. Now, the U.S. Supreme Court may decide.

Features

• • New Reporting Requirements for Non-Financed Residential Real Estate Transfers
  • Failure to understand when a FinCEN report is required could subject the lawyer (and potentially the lawyer's firm) to civil penalties of up to $108,489 for a pattern of negligent activity. For willful violations, the lawyer could be subject to imprisonment up to 5 years, a fine of up to $250,000, or both.

• • Welcome to 'InsideTrack Weekly'! Smaller Doses, More Frequency
  • Starting today, InsideTrack will be delivered to your inbox weekly.

• • 'Listening to Lawyers' and 'Practice Pulse' Join the Podcast Mix in 2025
  • Two new podcasts are joining our rotation: Listening to Lawyers and Practice Pulse.

• • CBD, THC, and the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act
  • Wisconsin’s prohibition on discrimination based on an employee’s use of lawful products complicates employer drug testing for marijuana. John Chick offers advice to attorneys on both the management and plaintiff sides when handling cases involving legal use of products that may trigger a positive drug test.

• • Mock Trial Students Need Your Help
  • The 2025 Wisconsin High School Mock Trial season has begun – the program needs attorneys and judges to help make the tournaments happen. No experience is necessary to help these students compete.

• • Forensic Justice Institute Covers Intersection of Science and Justice
  • Accurate and reliable forensic science plays a critical role in the pursuit of justice. The Forensic Justice Institute, held online on Jan. 24, 2025, helps lawyers understand scientific evidence and its application in the courtroom.

• • Federal and Local Court Rules: Latest Updates
  • Court rules for the following jurisdictions have been updated recently: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and Washburn, Outagamie, Langlade, Kenosha, Lincoln, Milwaukee, and Vilas counties.

• • Final Order 24-03: Rules of Judicial Administration
  • On June 19, 2024, The Director of State Courts filed this rule petition asking the court to amend, create, and repeal parts of Supreme Court Rule Chapter 70, pertaining to the rules of judicial administration.

Top Story

• • Meet Johanna Kirk and Stephen Sawyer: Candidates for the State Bar's Top Leadership Spot
  • Johanna Kirk of Thorp and Stephen Sawyer of Stevens Point are candidates for State Bar president-elect. Both have experience as lawyers in Wisconsin's rural areas – and these experiences inform their views on important issues facing the legal profession and the State Bar.

Features

• • Bypass Petitions to the Wisconsin Supreme Court
  • Petitions to bypass have increased in use in the past three years, but the end run around the Wisconsin Court of Appeals succeeds rarely, and not everyone on the supreme court agrees when the court should grant bypass.

• • Judicial Council Update: The Council's Need for Funding
  • Your State Bar representatives on the Wisconsin Judicial Council ask for your help to secure proper funding for the Council's important work to improve Wisconsin's rules of court practice and procedure.

• • We Need Your Insights: Serve on a State Bar Committee
  • Consider stepping forward to accept the challenge of volunteering your time to help the State Bar and those it serves.

• • State Bar Seeks ABA Delegates for Two-year Terms – Petitions Due April 15
  • Do you seek opportunities that will put you in contact with the leaders of your profession? Submit your petition to represent Wisconsin's legal community through the American Bar Association House of Delegates.

• • February CLE Programming from State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE
  • Looking for CLE? On topics from business litigation trends and tax law developments to speaking and writing effectively, State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE offers programs to keep you on top of your practice.

• • Hearing Order 24-05: To Increase Fee for Public Interest Legal Services Fund
  • On July 3, 2024, a rule petition was filed asking the court to amend Supreme Court Rule 13.045(1) to increase the annual assessment of attorneys for the Public Interest Legal Services Fund (PILSF), which supports legal services for people of limited means in non-criminal matters.

• • Petition to Reinstate Joan M. Boyd
  • On Dec. 30, 2024, Joan M. Boyd filed a petition for reinstatement of her Wisconsin law license.

• • Court Rules Updates: Learn What Local Court Rules Have Been Updated Recently
  • The following court rules have been updated recently: Bayfield, Marathon, Milwaukee, Portage, and Taylor counties.

• • West's Jury Verdicts, Bench Decisions, Settlements, and Arbitration Awards
  • A selection of recent Wisconsin case verdicts are shared below.

Top Story

• • FAA Considering Regulations to Help Stranded Passengers
  • The request for comments to create proposed rules comes at an awkward time for federal agencies, but political dissatisfaction with air travel and the 2024 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act may keep the process moving.

Features

• • Beyond the Billable Hour: Generative AI Is Already Reshaping Law Firm Economics
  • Rapid advancement of generative AI tools are reshaping the legal practice, and law firms are facing a fundamental challenge to their traditional business model. Srishti Ponnala discusses how firms using AI can develop their practice and compensation models to thrive in this new era of legal practice.

• • The Value of Paralegals and Why Certification Matters
  • Paralegals are a vital member of many Wisconsin law firms and play an important role in the legal profession. Angela Gonzalez, a State Bar of Wisconsin Certified Paralegal (SBWCP), shares her insights on the value of paralegals and how certification enhances the quality of service provided to attorneys and clients.

• • Supreme Court: Complainant to Wisconsin Elections Commission Lacked Standing
  • A 4-3 Wisconsin Supreme Court majority declined to decide a voter's complaint of five alleged violations of election law because it concluded those complaints to the Wisconsin Election Commission did not personally affect him.

• • Headed to Madison: 20 High School Mock Trial Teams to Compete in Semifinals
  • Congratulations to the teams who competed in 2025 Wisconsin High School Mock Trial regional tournament! The top 20 teams will compete in the semifinals tournament in early March in Madison.

• • Lawyers: You Don't Need to be Perfect When Organizing Your Work
  • Lawyers can often struggle to become more organized in their professional and personal lives. Are you one of them? Here’s an idea: try using an unconventional organizational method based on emotion.

• • Attend the Young Lawyers Conference on March 28
  • Young lawyers, you're invited to the State Bar of Wisconsin Young Lawyers Conference. Meet in Brookfield on Friday, March 28, for free CLE sessions and networking. ABA-president-elect Michelle Behnke will give the keynote speech.

• • Recent Book Releases from State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE
  • Keep your practice up to date with books from State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE.