I want to thank our contributing authors from 2023. We had some great content last year and will push ahead with more in 2024.

Per Wisconsin Supreme Court Rule (SCR) 10.12, Wisconsin Lawyer is the “official publication of the State Bar of Wisconsin.” Working with the Communications Committee, the editorial team works to bring relevant and engaging content to lawyers, judges, and other legal professionals.

We rely on submissions and solicit content on substantive and procedural law to share information on changes, reforms, or other legal developments. We also publish content that covers other aspects of law practice, including ethics, technology, and lawyer well-being.

Under the ethics rules, lawyers “should keep abreast of changes in the law and its practice, including the benefits and risks associated with relevant technology.” Lawyer wellness is also ingrained in the ethics rules, concerning physical or mental impairments.

Thus, these are key areas of coverage throughout the year. But the ecosystem of law practice is big. A solo lawyer’s challenges may not be the same as for a large-firm attorney. A government lawyer’s practice differs from that of an in-house counsel.

The skills required of a transactional lawyer are different than those of a litigator. In highlighting larger themes throughout the year – transactional law, civil litigation, criminal law, and administrative and regulatory practice – we aim to target information and be highly relevant.

There are many subcategories within these larger themes that we’d like to highlight; to do so, we need you. You are on the front lines. You are doing the work and spotting the issues. You have information and perspectives that could help other lawyers.

Think about writing for the magazine. The editorial team is here to help you publish a polished article. Don’t forget – you can get up to 15 CLE credits for “published legal writing.” If a 2,500-word feature seems too daunting, think about writing a shorter piece.

We run columns on ethics, lawyer wellness, and technology, as noted above, but the magazine is not limited to that. Articles on soft skills, marketing, networking, mentoring, learning, writing, managing – these are essential too. The well-rounded lawyer must be good at many things.

Wisconsin Lawyer must discuss the substantive legal developments that affect how you counsel and represent clients. It should also reflect and illustrate all the moving parts of practicing law, as a forum for members to highlight what’s happening in the trenches.

We need you for that. Have you got a topic in mind? Let us know. Have a perspective? Share it with us. While Wisconsin Lawyer is the State Bar’s “official publication,” we have others.

InsideTrack, our digital publication, is emailed to members every first and third Wednesday of the month. It includes feature articles by our in-house writers and also often includes articles written by lawyers – including those writing for our section and division blogs (there are 21 section and division blogs). Some blog posts are selected and included in InsideTrack.

There are numerous avenues for lawyers to publish their work. So please consider it! You may be surprised at the doors it will open.