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Officials flag lawyer shortage; petition seeks Uniform Bar Exam pathway for Wisconsin
Summary
County staff and the district attorney told the committee Wisconsin has fewer lawyers per capita than neighboring states and that a petition before the Wisconsin Supreme Court would allow the Uniform Bar Exam as an additional licensing route to help with recruitment and retention.
County staff and the Marathon County district attorney told the Public Safety Committee that Wisconsin’s lawyer supply is tight and changes to licensure could help bolster recruitment.
A county staff member, Lance, briefed the committee on a proposal and a petition filed with the Wisconsin Supreme Court that would allow the Uniform Bar Exam (UBE) as an additional route to admission in certain circumstances. Lance said the petition followed a presentation by Judge O'Neil at an earlier meeting and described the UBE as a potential extra pathway alongside diploma privilege and the state-specific bar exam.
Lance said the shortage shows up in per-capita figures: "According to the ABA, Wisconsin averages 2.6 attorneys per thousand. The national average is 3.9," he said, noting neighboring states such as Illinois and Minnesota have higher rates. He and other presenters framed the issue as a workforce concern for both the public defender and district attorney offices and for moving cases through the court system.
Kyle Mayo, Marathon County district attorney, and the presenters described the practical impact: fewer available lawyers can slow case processing and strain retention. The presentation noted some law schools previously enjoyed "diploma privilege" pathways for graduates and that any change to allow the UBE would be subject to the state Supreme Court's review.
The committee was invited to follow the petition and contact the State Bar or the Supreme Court to express views; no formal action was taken by the committee on the petition during the meeting. The presentation materials and a Wisconsin Lawyer magazine article were included in the meeting packet for members seeking more detail.
