What is the
Professional Ethics Committee?

The State Bar Professional Ethics Committee is a standing committee whose purpose is to provide guidance and assistance to State Bar members in the area of professional ethics. The committee issues formal and informal opinions on ethics issues by responding to questions or hypotheticals presented by State Bar members. Ethics opinions now can be located on WisBar, the State Bar's Internet site.

The committee members also work closely with State Bar ethics consultant Keith Kaap to provide the Ethics Hotline service to State Bar members. This service allows attorneys to contact Kaap or a committee member by telephone to discuss an ethics problem. Contact Kaap all day on Wednesdays at (800) 444-9404, ext. 6168 or (608) 250-6168, and at (608) 629-5721 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings.

While the opinions and Hotline consultations are not considered precedential, an attorney may be able to argue the reasonableness of his or her conduct in any professional discipline proceeding if he or she acts in accordance with recommendations from an informal or formal ethics committee opinion or Hotline consultation. Ethics Hotline consultations are considered attorney-client protected and members of the Professional Ethics Committee are specifically exempted from an obligation to report any attorney misconduct they may become aware of while providing consultation services.

Members of the Professional Ethics Committee are Tom Basting (chair), Ralph Cagle (reporter), Dean R. Dietrich, Mary Lynne Donohue, Hannah C. Dugan, Robert A. Dupuy, Jerome L. Fox, Mel Johnson, Alexander T. Pendleton (board liaison), Jo Ann Prust, H.S. Riffle, Karma Rodgers, Eric Schulenburg, and James D. Wickhem.