You might hear a familiar voice on the latest installment of the popular @serialproductions.bsky.social podcast. “The Last 12 Weeks,” a five-part series, focuses on the case of a convicted serial killer who has maintained his innocence for three decades. 1/2

This month, the State Bar of Wisconsin Annual Meeting & Conference in La Crosse brought together folks across the legal profession to connect, learn and celebrate. Two noteworthy moments included:

Hey all you UW Law grads! Reunion 2026 registration opens next week! Learn more and save the date: buff.ly/5xRPK0F.

UW Law's SOS Initiative is more than a scholarship program — it's a commitment to preserving opportunity for generations of lawyers. The Initiative creates a pathway for donors to make an impact by establishing a named scholarship with a $30,000 pledge. Read more: buff.ly/DVHYTLV.

Behind every successful graduate is a strong support system. The UW Law Class of 2024 entered the profession with record employment outcomes, thanks in part to the Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD). Learn more about OCPD in our latest edition of the Gargoyle: buff.ly/vyf56eq.

Check out the latest paper by Professor Franciska Coleman, "Why Aren't Scholars Braver?," now available on SSRN: buff.ly/cdvXZRN. #FridayReads

The Wisconsin Supreme Court will take up a second appeal on the state’s congressional maps. @uwlawdemocracy.bsky.social's @bgodar.bsky.social explains what’s next, including why a redraw cannot happen before the November 2026 election and what the court must address. Read more: buff.ly/eeF3Y46.

In January, UW Law School hosted the first round of the 2026 Texas Young Lawyers Association Region 12 National Trial Competition, bringing together student advocates, volunteer witnesses from Madison and a distinguished bench of judges: buff.ly/Vs9fGAr.

Professor Emerita of Law and bioethics specialist Alta Charo comments on the ethics of heritable genome editing and how the technology should be discussed as an alternative to IVF when embryos are limited. Read the full story: buff.ly/Dg0y6tn.

Calling all UW Law alumni in Milwaukee and beyond! Join us tomorrow at the Milwaukee Bar Association for the UW Law Alumni Happy Hour. Enjoy some beer, wine, soft drinks, snacks and plenty of good company! Walk-ins are welcome. Learn more and register: buff.ly/LgOAbNU.

Howard Erlanger '81 has spent decades shaping the lives of UW Law students and colleagues. In the cover story for our latest alumni magazine, we explore the lasting impact of his teaching, mentorship and commitment to the Law School community: buff.ly/BsgTi9v.

Evjue-Bascom Professor Mitra Sharafi joins the Wisconsin Law in Action podcast to discuss her new book on forensic science and colonial South Asia. Listen: buff.ly/wpkAGD9 Now also on Spotify!

Ryan Poe-Gavlinski discussed the role of representation in youth mental health services, noting that different backgrounds can pose obstacles to building trust. Read the full story: buff.ly/qBTzcAF.

With equity ownership's increasingly outsized influence on corporate governance, Nathan Atkinson and Yale Law School's Jonathan Macey have found that simple proportional mirror voting fails to achieve outcome neutrality. And they have proposed an alternative: buff.ly/iuPptDb #FridayReads

UW Law alumni in Milwaukee and beyond: the UW Law Alumni Happy Hour is one week away! Drinks, snacks and great conversations await. Learn more and register: buff.ly/LgOAbNU.

In 2024, New Yorkers adopted an Amendment that expanded the state constitution’s Equal Protection Clause to bar discrimination based on ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender expression, pregnancy status, reproductive healthcare & more. Learn more at 50constitutions.org/ny

The Immigrant Justice Center at @law.wisc.edu offers free legal services for immigrants. Meet director Erin Barbato, who provides crucial learning opportunities for @uwmadison.bsky.social students who dream of careers in immigration law. onwisconsin.uwalumni.com/legal-repres...

Podcast just out on my new book, Fear of the False, covering everything from planted animal blood and archival research to AI (of course) and public mistrust of science: open.spotify.com/episode/44yI... Always such a pleasure to chat with my UW Law Library colleague Kristopher Turner! #legalhistory

As the Wisconsin Supreme Court weighs judicial recusal rules, @uwlawdemocracy.bsky.social's @DerekClinger.bsky.social underscores why it matters: impartiality and independence are central to public confidence in the courts. Read the full story:

As director of the Immigrant Justice Center at UW Law School, Erin Barbato combines student learning with critical legal services for immigrants across Wisconsin, helping students make a difference while learning the power of their law degree. Read the @onwismag.bsky.social article:

Congratulations to David Schwartz on his retirement after more than 25 years of distinguished service at UW Law. A two‑time Classroom Teacher of the Year and prolific constitutional law scholar, Schwartz will continue serving as editor‑in‑chief of the Journal of American Constitutional History.

@uwlawdemocracy.bsky.social's @DerekClinger.bsky.social said legal challenges to proposed USPS absentee voting changes raise “really strong arguments” that the rule would violate federal law, and is unlikely to come to fruition. Read more: buff.ly/AE7VtIg.

Congratulations to former Hastie Fellow Casey Faucon '15 on being promoted to professor of law with tenure at UConn Law! Read more: buff.ly/NNh3zgb.

Benjamin Sobel spoke to Wisconsin Public Radio about concerns over AI, including copyright disputes, policy regulation and more. Listen to the interview: buff.ly/4MnEy9i.

Commencement may be over, but we are not done celebrating our students' achievements! Our searchable Student Awards page features a list of awards organized by year given. Some awards are still pending, and the page will be updated when information is confirmed. Explore the page: buff.ly/iDS4xGL.

Registration for the UW Law Alumni Happy Hour is open! Join your fellow Law School classmates and colleagues on June 18 for an evening of fun and connection over drinks and snacks. Learn more and register: buff.ly/LgOAbNU.

Congratulations to our recent graduates who swore-in last week! Last Thursday, 140 UW Law alumni were admitted to the State Bar of Wisconsin. Learn more about the ceremony and the individual stories behind some of these new lawyers: buff.ly/WLdIHbP.

Over 1,700 people came together to celebrate the Class of 2026 during the UW Law Hooding Ceremony last month. Relive the celebration with this online photo and video gallery: buff.ly/TWjBk59.

Watch: 📺 🖥️ 💻 📱 University of Wisconsin Law School @law.wisc.edu State Democracy Research Initiative attorney Bryna Godar explains a lawsuit against five county sheriffs in the state over the legal status of 48-hour ICE detainers.

Professor Emerita of Law and Bioethics and advisor to Colossal Biosciences Alta Charo explains why artificial wombs could signal a new ethical inflection point for humanity. Read the full article: buff.ly/SPZ6Msm.

Looking forward to our New Books in South Asian Legal Studies panel @lawandsociety.bsky.social in San Francisco this Saturday, 12.45pm+! Each author speaks about another book & our own, incl. @jasonbjackson.bsky.social @anandvaidya.bsky.social. CRN22 South Asia business meeting is right before (1/2)

“One of the biggest surprises from families is that once a child turns 14, they have a lot more autonomy over their own treatment and privacy rights, parents have more limited access and ability to seek treatment for their kids,” Cary Bloodworth explained at a mental health panel:

Rock County Circuit Court Judge Ashley Morse '09 has been recognized as "the very definition of a trailblazer" with a recent State Bar of Wisconsin award. Read more in this Madison365 story:

Rock County Assistant District Attorney Margaret Ginocchio '22 has been honored by the Wisconsin Victim Witness Professionals for her extraordinary service and dedication to crime victims. Learn more:

@marksidel.bsky.social recently published "Compliance as Resistance" in the @ssir.org. The article discusses how regulatory compliance can aid civil society and nonprofit resistance to the state. Read more: buff.ly/Moil3Hs. #FridayReads

Minnesota prosecutors have charged a second federal immigration officer after the federal enforcement surge this year. Bryna Godar of @uwlawdemocracy.bsky.social explains state cases emerge when officials disagree with how federal authorities handle an investigation: buff.ly/pkRh8VA.

North Carolina's 2024 Supreme Court race took 6 months of litigation to resolve, while some worry that similar post-election challenges could affect control of Congress. But state supreme courts have tools to prevent this. Learn more in our new explainer: statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu/our-work/how...

Staff attorney @bgodar.bsky.social's article, Disenfranchisement Creep, came out Friday in the Virginia Law Review. She argues that state constitutions impose limits on criminal and capacity-based disenfranchisement and surveys the ways states exceed those limits. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

@ewylau.bsky.social of @uwlawdemocracy.bsky.social explains Wisconsin's constitutional amendment process ahead of this November's ballot measure. Read the WUWM story to learn more:

Save the date for Reunion 2026! All UW Law alumni, regardless of class year, are invited to participate in Reunion activities this October. This year, we look forward to toasting all classes ending in "1" and "6!" Registration for all events will open in early July. Learn more: buff.ly/PxCAQVt.

Agricultural antitrust specialist Peter Carstensen comments on the proposed Agri Stats legal settlement, explaining how data-sharing and new technologies can amplify antitrust risks in agriculture and why enforcement and oversight remain critical. Read more: buff.ly/KgGDI2o.

Former William H. Hastie Fellow Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw talks about her life and academic body of work with @tonyamosley.bsky.social on the heels of releasing a memoir. Listen to the @nprfreshair.bsky.social podcast episode: buff.ly/l2b5z7V

Congratulations to Miranda Tichareva ’24 on being named the @statebarofwi.bsky.social ’s 2026 Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year. Read more about her and the award: buff.ly/PdMcUYY.

Congrats to former UW Law William H. Hastie Fellow Ruben Garcia, who was named Inaugural Leonard Hoshijo Endowed Chair in Labor Law at University of Hawai'i at Manoa - William S. Richardson School of Law.

Interested in a dynamic event exploring the evolving role of generative AI in legal education and practice? The Second Annual AI & Legal Skills Virtual Conference, hosted by the @lwionline.bsky.social AI Committee and University of Wisconsin Law School, will be June 2. Register:

As states explore options for addressing federal corruption, state criminal laws may offer one avenue. We've added an appendix of existing laws to our report here: statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu/our-work/sta...

For decades, ICE limited enforcement operations at locations like schools and hospitals. Both Trump Administrations rescinded those guidelines. @harrisonstark.bsky.social discusses states & localities’ ability to adopt their own policies in a new report: statedemocracy.law.wisc.edu/our-work/can...

@saltislife.bsky.social for @us.theconversation.com: An April SCOTUS decision made it easier for companies to move cases from state to federal courts. "The ruling is likely to make it harder for the public to seek redress from companies they believe acted wrongly."

Congratulations, graduates. All of us at UW Law are honored to have been a part of your journey. You always have a place here at UW Law and we will always welcome you back. We look forward to hearing about the great things you’ll do in the future. On, Wisconsin!

John Gross is a clinical associate professor and director of the Public Defender Project at University of Wisconsin Law School. Below are highlights from his speech during the 2026 Hooding Ceremony: