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February 27, 2015

WSLL Recommends: Mental Disability Law: Civil & Criminal

Mental Disability Law Civil and Criminal (2d ed.) is a 5-volume award winning treatise by prolific author Michael L. Perlin, Professor of Law, Emeritus. This set covers many areas of the law involving mental illness. Virtually every chapter contains a convenient checklist dealing with the chapter's topical considerations of litigation, procedure, and/or statutory provisions.

After a brief discussion of the development and historical context of mental disability law, the first volume focuses on involuntary civil commitments, including the role of counsel and procedural rights. The second volume revolves around institutional rights, from the right to treatment to the right to refuse treatment, and beyond. 

Perlin then moves on to community rights in the third volume. The analysis includes the right to community treatment, deinstitutionalization, and homelessness. There are also chapters on federal statutory rights, state constitutional law, and tort law (focusing on persons with mental disabilities as plaintiffs or "third parties"). 

Volume four is dedicated to criminal incompetency. There are chapters focused on incompetency to stand trial, the insanity defense, sentencing, and the death penalty, as well as the criminal trial process and how it relates to mental disability. The fifth and shortest volume contains unique content. Among references to the first edition of this title, you can find reprinted historical court orders, pleadings, documents, and court forms.

On the whole, the set is a valuable resource for legal practitioners dealing with the various aspects of mental disability law. Each hard bound volume can be individually checked out by eligible borrowers.

February 24, 2015

Emergency Rules and the Online Administrative Code

In January a great new feature was added to the online Administrative Code. When an emergency rule is in place that may affect the chapter being viewed, a highly visible alert box will appear at the top of the page. The emergency rule is linked within the alert box. Simply click on the emergency rule link to read the text of the rule.

This feature is only available in the clickable (HTML) version of the online Administrative Code. Emergency rule alerts will not appear if you are viewing the PDF version of a chapter. All current and expired emergency rules are also available in a separate section of the WI State Legislature's document site.

The next time you are researching an Administrative Code section, pull up the chapter from the current, clickable version and check for an emergency rule alert.


February 19, 2015

Black's Law Dictionary 10th Edition on WestlawNext

We added the print version of the 10th edition of Black's Law Dictionary to our collection in the summer of 2014. We're pleased to announce that the 10th edition is now available on WestlawNext.

Library users can search WestlawNext on any library computer or while using the Wisconsin State Law Library's wi-fi connection.

"See" references within term entries are also now linked allowing you to jump to the correct term entry, making the dictionary easier to use. (Pictured below)


February 15, 2015

WSLL Recommends: Tulane Tax Institute

For well over a half century the Tulane Tax Institute has attracted top experts in the field of tax law. The annual three-day program is known for presenting recent developments and hot topics in the area of tax planning and estates for both individuals and corporations.

Topics from recent programs include estate planning for same-sex and unmarried couples, national trends in state and local taxation, the impact of the Affordable Care Act on closely held business, and estate planning after the 2010 Tax Act.

The Wisconsin State Law Library provides access to the print collection of seminar materials from volume 1 (1951) through the most recently available seminar (2013-2014). In addition, the library's HeinOnline service provides online, remote access to proceedings from 1951-2012.

To access this material in HeinOnline start with the catalog record for the book, Tulane Law School Annual Institute on Federal Taxation. Use the HeinOnline link and enter your law library barcode to log in. As always, contact the library's reference desk for assistance (800-322-9755) or see this page for information on getting a library card.

February 6, 2015

Wisconsin Collection Update

In December and January visitors to the library may have noticed some empty shelves in our Wisconsin section on the second floor. This section underwent a major shift of materials to make more space for our Wisconsin Appellate Court Briefs collection. 100 empty shelves were eventually freed up for the future expansion of our Briefs collection.

Empty shelves during the shift.

More room was made for the topic areas between KFW 2460 and KFW 2700, including sections on family and business law. Visitors will notice that the bottom shelves have been left empty on many bookcases due to the large State Bar of Wisconsin Pinnacle binders and conference materials shelved above.

Once nearly empty, the last row of KFW shelves are now full.
Library Assistant Danni Niles and Gavin Tullis worked hard to shift these materials quickly and carefully. The project was completed in January and all the shelf rows relabeled to reflect the new arrangement. (Below: Danni Niles and Gavin Tullis shifting the KFW section.)



Are you curious about how we plan and perform shelf shift projects? Check out these blog posts to learn more.

February 3, 2015

WSLL at Your Service February 2015

The February issue of WSLL @ Your Service is now online. 

In this issue:
  • What's New: Staff News; Upcoming Classes; WSLL, MLRC and DCLRC Year in Review; Website Redesign Survey
  • This Just in...: New & updated library materials; Monthly list of new titles
  • WSLL Recommends: Elements of an Action
  • Odds 'n' Endings: Helping Warm Hearts and Hands Mittens & Hats Drive Recap

As always, your comments are welcome. Please direct them to the editor, Lisa.Winkler@wicourts.gov

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