Matthew M. Beier
Wisconsin Lawyers Mutual Insurance Co.
Madison
Amy M. Bentley
Bentley Tuffnell Law, S.C.
Milwaukee
Brent Hoeft
State Bar of Wisconsin
Madison
Jessica M. Kramer
Kramer, Elkins & Watt, LLC
Madison
Jeffrey S. Krause
Affinity Consulting Group
Waterford
J. David Krekeler
Krekeler Law, S.C.
Madison
Lindsay Marty
Above the Bar Marketing
Madison
Erin R. Ogden
Ogden Glazer & Schaefer
Madison
Sarah E. Peterson
State Bar of Wisconsin
Madison
Travis J. Stieren
Office of Lawyer Regulation
Madison
8:30 a.m. Making the Leap: Planning Your Transition to Firm Ownership (LPM)
- Evaluate the personal, professional, and financial considerations
- Identify key ethical duties that arise during a transition
- Assess whether solo or small firm ownership aligns with your goals, risk tolerance, work style, and long-term vision for practicing law.
Amy M. Bentley, Sarah E. Peterson
9:20 a.m. Building the Business Foundation for Your New Firm (LPM)
- Compare common law firm structures and entity options
- Develop a basic business plan
- Understand key decisions on compensation, owner draws, partnerships, of counsel roles, and staffing
Jessica M. Kramer, Erin R. Ogden
10:10 a.m. Break
10:25 a.m. Financial Management and Daily Operations for a Healthy Practice (LPM)
- Understand the bookkeeping fundamentals every new law firm needs
- Identify the key reports that help firm owners measure performance
- Use financial and productivity reports to spot problems early
- Build a stronger operational foundation by creating repeatable systems, reviewing metrics regularly, and identifying next-level improvements as the practice grows
Jeffrey S. Krause, J. David Krekeler
11:15 a.m. Building a Book of Business: Attracting, Retaining, and Growing the Right Clients (LPM)
- Define your ideal client and align your services, messaging, and referral strategy to attract the right clients
- Evaluate ethical and practical approaches to marketing
- Recognize when a matter or prospective client is not a good fit and develop screening practices
- Create an onboarding process that sets clear expectations from the start
- Design a client experience and firm culture that support trust, strong service, repeat business, and long-term goodwill.
J. David Krekeler, Lindsay Marty
12:05 p.m. Networking Luncheon (Networking in-person only)
1:05 p.m. Trust Accounting Fundamentals (EPR)
- Learn how to set up and maintain the records, reconciliations, and internal controls
- Understand what funds belong in trust, when they must be deposited, and when they may be properly withdrawn
- Review common trust accounting mistakes and identify practical steps to avoid them
Travis J. Stieren
1:55 p.m. Choosing and Using Technology to Run a Modern Law Practice (LPM)
- Identify the core software systems most new firms need
- Evaluate hardware and equipment needs for a functional and efficient office
- Understand backup and disaster recovery basics
- Recognize the essential elements of physical and digital security
- Explore practical ways to use emerging technologies, including AI
Brent J. Hoeft
2:45 p.m. Break
3:00 p.m. Protecting Yourself and Your Practice: Insurance Coverage Every New Firm Should Consider (LPM)
- Review the insurance coverages commonly recommended for new law firms
- Understand the basic structure of a legal malpractice policy
- Identify how to evaluate coverage needs based on firm size, practice areas, staffing, and technology risks
Matthew M. Beier
3:50 p.m. Hot Topics, Practical Lessons, and Q&A (No CLE)
- Identify common early-stage mistakes new firm owners make and learn practical steps to avoid them.
- Apply takeaways from the day’s sessions to open questions, current trends, and real-world startup challenges raised by attendees and panelists.
All Faculty
4:20 p.m. Program Concludes
- Find out what it really takes to start and run your own law practice
- Learn how to develop a business plan and make smart ownership decisions
- Understand financial management and key performance metrics
- Discover tools and technology that improve efficiency and support growth
- Gain insights from attorneys and professionals with real-world experience
- Avoid common pitfalls and build a stronger foundation for your future
- Attorneys considering starting their own practice
- Lawyers who want to ensure they’ve set their firm up correctly
- Solo and small firm attorneys
- New attorneys
- General practitioners
Solo/Small Firm & General Practice Section members pay just $65!*
Tuition is just $65 for members of the Solo/Small Firm & General Practice Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin for the in-person or live webcast of this program on September 16, 2026.
Not a section member? Join today to enjoy the discount and to gain access to additional valuable section resources and benefits.
*The Solo/Small Firm & General Practice Section discount does not apply to webcast replays or the CLE OnDemand™ version of this program. The Section may discontinue this discount at any time. Section members must be logged in to see the discounted rate.
Book Bonus!
Wisconsin Attorney’s Desk Reference
Save 25% on the Wisconsin Attorney’s Desk Reference.* Save valuable time researching unfamiliar areas of law with easy-to-follow outlines covering 11 practice areas and 35 topics, complete with citations to key primary sources. Use discount code CA4009 when you order online or by calling (800) 728-7788.
*Discount applies to both print and digital Books UnBound editions of this title and cannot be applied to previous purchases. Offer valid through 12/31/27. For Books UnBound users, discount may be applied to purchase of individual Books UnBound title only and may not be used on the purchase of libraries. Discount cannot be combined with any other offers.
Discount applies to AK0003 or AE0003_SUB and cannot be applied to previous purchases. Offer valid through 12/31/27. For Books UnBound users, discount may be applied to purchase of individual Books UnBound title only and may not be used on the purchase of libraries. Discount cannot be combined with any other offers.