State Bar of Wisconsin
The State Bar of Wisconsin (SBW) is the mandatory professional group for lawyers licensed in Wisconsin. It helps the courts run smoothly, offers continuing legal education, supports law students, and provides public services like attorney referrals, public education, and reduced-fee help for low-income residents.
It started as a voluntary association on January 9, 1878, with Moses M. Strong as its first president. In 1956, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ordered it to become integrated, meaning you must be a member to practice in the state’s courts. A federal court ruling in 1988 paused mandatory membership, but after a public hearing and further rulings, the Supreme Court reinstated it effective July 1, 1992.
The SBW is led by a 53-member Board of Governors, including five officers, the immediate past president, 35 members elected from 16 districts, and members from various divisions (Government Lawyers, Young Lawyers, Senior Lawyers, and Nonresident Lawyers). It also includes four Building Bridges Liaisons and three nonlawyer members appointed by the Supreme Court.
The Office of Lawyer Regulation (an arm of the Wisconsin Supreme Court) enforces the rule that lawyers complete 30 hours of Continuing Legal Education every two years.
SBW publishes Wisconsin Lawyer each month, along with WisBar InsideTrack and the Rotunda Report.
Headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, the SBW had about 23,525 members in 2012. Its website is wisbar.org.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:39 (CET).