2025 RELACS Professional Development Seminar

Sunday, October 5, 2025
8:00 AM 5:00 PM Central Standard Time
- In-Person Event

View Event Details:

Overview
Agenda
Hotel & Travel
Registration

The RELACS Professional Development Seminar brings together staff who are critical to the legislative process including researchers, editors, legal, code revision, bill drafting, committee and policy analysis. The 2025 seminar features sessions on important legislative issues, soft skills, best practices, and opportunities for networking.  

This year's meeting takes place in Madison, Wis., at the Madison Concourse and at the state Capitol and aims to bring together participants to hear new information, learn important skills, build relationships and take away new tools and ideas to enhance the effectiveness of state legislatures.  

Sessions of Interest will include: a summary of relevant Supreme Court Cases, Legal Writing, Perspectives from the Editor of the New Yorker, Ethics: Government Attorneys Representing the Institution, Committee Staffing, E-Discovery, Intergenerational Communication in the Legislative Workplace, Employment Law, Generative AI for Research, Grammar Rules to Live By, ADA: New Rules from DOJ and Title 2 and more!   

Proposed Agenda - Times and Session Topics Subject to Change 

Sunday, Oct. 5 – Registration and Check-in
Monday, Oct. 6 – Morning sessions and lunch at the hotel; afternoon breakout sessions at the capitol
Tuesday, Oct. 7 – All sessions at the hotel
Wednesday, Oct.`8 – Sessions until noon

Hotel and Travel

The conference hotel is the Madison Concourse Hotel.

Address 

1 West Dayton Street, Madison. WI 53703

Group rate 

$199/night plus tax.

Hotel reservation link 

Use the RELACS group booking link- No login/Attendee Code needed. 

Hotel reservation deadline 

The hotel cutoff is Sept. 15. However, we expect the hotel to sell out by sometime in July. 

The Madison Concourse Hotel is in downtown Madison and just 3 blocks from the State Capitol, as well as walking distance to restaurants and shopping. 

Transportation to the Hotel

A complimentary airport shuttle is available for service between Dane County Regional Airport and the hotel. The shuttle serves all overnight guests and runs between 4:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m.

From the airport:  Simply call the hotel when you are ready for pick-up. The shuttle pick-up area is across the street from baggage claim Door 5. 

From the hotel:  Please make a reservation at the front desk.

Special Needs 

To ensure full participation and accessibility for all meeting attendees, please notify [email protected] of any special accommodations you may require. 

City Information 

Downtown Madison is a vibrant and bustling area known for its walkability and diverse mix of cultural, historical and recreational attractions. In early October, temperatures typically range from highs around 66°F to lows near 47°F, making it a pleasant time to explore the city.

Meeting Registration Fees:

State Legislative Staff	$450
Attendee (Business, Government, University, Charitable and All Others)	$500
Host State (Wisconsin Legislature)	$400
Guests (this fee covers attendance at the reception only)	$85

Register:

Register Online
Requires a credit card for everyone except legislators and legislative staff. Confirmations will be sent by email.

Spouse/Guest. All meeting sessions are for registered attendees only. There are no social events currently planned for this meeting. If any events are scheduled, a separate fee will be created for guests.

PDS Registration Bill to State Instructions (only available for legislative staff)

Bill to State: Please note you must use Chrome or Firefox to access the Bill to State page. You must login to the NCSL site. Then, click Register Now below. Select the ticket type, State Legislative Staff for example, then select the yellow link inside that field. On the next page, you may choose yourself from the list of legislative staff in your state and fill out the billing information. Then click “Register selected contacts” from the top of the page.

If no list appears, please clear your cache and login again.

Cancellations must be emailed to [email protected] by September 30, 2025. Fees cannot be refunded for registrations cancelled after the conference begins.