Attorney self-reporting
SCR 21.15(5) requires any lawyer found guilty or convicted of a crime to notify the Office of Lawyer Regulation and the clerk of the Supreme Court within 5 days of the finding or conviction.
The notification must be in writing and contain the following information:
- Lawyer’s name
- Specific offense or offenses
- Jurisdiction where the finding or conviction occurred
- Date of plea or conviction
Not all criminal convictions are professional misconduct. Under SCR 20:8.4(b), it is misconduct for a lawyer to “commit a criminal act that reflects adversely on the lawyer's honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer in other respects.” When OLR receives written notice of a lawyer’s guilty plea or conviction, it will assign a staff member to preliminarily evaluate the facts and circumstances, and recommend whether investigation is warranted.
Lawyers may self-report guilty pleas or convictions to OLR by email at OLR.Intake@WIcourts.gov or by U.S. mail at PO Box 1648, Madison, Wisconsin 53701-1648 and the Clerk of the Supreme Court online, by email at Clerk@WIcourts.gov, or by U.S. Mail at 110 E. Main Street, Suite 215, Madison, WI 53701.