Wisconsin State Law Library

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December 21, 2022

Winter storm service updates (December 2022)

Madison

The David T. Prosser Jr. Library is closed to visitors on Thursday, December 22 and Friday, December 23.

The Dane County Law Library is closed, along with the Dane County Courthouse on Thursday, December 22 from 2:00 PM and all day on Friday, December 23.

Milwaukee

The Milwaukee County Law Library is closed after noon on Thursday, December 22 and all day on Friday, December 23, due to a declared weather emergency.

Contact us

To ask a question while the libraries are closed to visitors, send an email to wsll.ref@wicourts.gov, call 608-267-9696, or fill out our Ask a Librarian form online. 

December 16, 2022

Job Opening: Library Associate at Dane County Law Library

If you have experience processing library materials, have excellent organizational skills, and are customer service driven, we encourage you to apply for the Library Associate position at the Wisconsin Court System. This position is located at the Dane County Law Library. 

Learn more at https://www.wicourts.gov/courts/employment/docs/22-2279.pdf 

September 15, 2022

Job Openings for Librarians

Come join our team! The Wisconsin State Law Library is seeking candidates for two librarian jobs. Learn more and apply at the links below.

Cataloging and Metadata Librarian

The Wisconsin State Law Library is seeking candidates for the position of Cataloging and Metadata Librarian. This position is responsible for providing bibliographic access to library materials, electronic journals, online resources and digital collections for the Wisconsin State Law Library, the Milwaukee County Law Library (MCLL), the Dane County Law Library (DCLL), and the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. This position supports the discovery of digital content through the application of cataloging and metadata practices, and through the creation and maintenance of finding aids. Learn more & apply

Reference & Electronic Services Librarian

The Wisconsin State Law Library is seeking candidates for the position of Reference & Electronic Services Librarian. This position provides research and reference assistance to judges, court staff, attorneys, paralegals and pro-se litigants via in-person, phone and email. This position also ensures access to the library’s electronic databases, public computers and wireless network, working with CCAP to facilitate necessary updates and security of the public computers at the Wisconsin State Law Library, the Milwaukee County Law Library (MCLL), and the Dane County Law Library (DCLL) Learn more & apply                                       

WSLL @ Your Service September 2022

Our newsletter is always online, which means it's never too late to check out our September issue! Read about access to justice initiatives in public libraries, plainly written law books, and technology tips. 



July 21, 2022

2022 Criminal Jury Instructions released

The most recent supplement to the Wisconsin Criminal Jury Instructions has been approved by the Wisconsin Judicial Conference’s Criminal Jury Instructions Committee. The sixtieth supplement to this publication includes new, updated, and withdrawn instructions for the set. This supplement includes blank pages to support double sided page printing. These updates reflect material approved through June 2022.

New instructions

997 (New) Elder Person Victims § 939.623

1204 (New) First Degree Sexual Assault: Against an Individual Who is 60 Years of Age or Older § 940.225(1)(d)

1204 Example (New) First Degree Sexual Assault: Against an Individual Who is 60 Years of Age or Older § 940.225(1)(d)

1217B (New) Second Degree Sexual Assault: Sexual Contact or Intercourse by a Law Enforcement Officer with a Person Detained or In Custody § 940.225(2)(k)

1249A (New) Physical Abuse of an Elder Person: Intentional Causation of Great Bodily Harm § 940.198(2)(a)

1249B (New) Physical Abuse of an Elder Person: Intentional Causation of Bodily Harm § 940.198(2)(b)

1249C (New) Physical Abuse of an Elder Person: Intentional Causation of Bodily Harm to an Elder Person Under Circumstances or Conditions that are Likely to Produce Great Bodily Harm § 940.198(2)(c)

1249D (New) Physical Abuse of an Elder Person: Reckless Causation of Great Bodily Harm § 940.198(3)(a)

1249E (New) Physical Abuse of an Elder Person: Reckless Causation of Bodily Harm § 940.198(3)(b)

1249F (New) Physical Abuse of an Elder Person: Reckless Causation of Bodily Harm to an Elder Person Under Circumstances or Conditions that are Likely to Produce Great Bodily Harm § 940.198(3)(c)

2199 (New) Sex Offender Name Change § 301.47(2)(a)-(b)

SM-9 (New) When a Jury Requests to Hear/See Audio/Visual Evidence During Deliberations


Updated instructions

Introductory materials

50 Preliminary Instruction: Jurors' Conduct; Evidence; Transcripts Not Available; Credibility; Substantive Issues; Opening Statement

58 Transcripts Not Available for Deliberations; Reading Back Testimony

158 Recording Played to the Jury

300 Credibility of Witnesses

800 Privilege: Self-Defense: Force Less Than That Likely to Cause Death or Great Bodily Harm

801 Privilege: Self-Defense: Force Less Than That Likely to Cause Death or Great Bodily Harm: Crimes Involving Recklessness or Negligence

805 Privilege: Self-Defense: Force Intended or Likely to Cause Death or Great Bodily Harm

805A Law Note: Self-defense under § 939.48(1m)

820 Privilege: Self-Defense: Injury to Third Party Charged as Reckless or Negligent Crime

821 Privilege: Self-Defense: Unintended Harm to Third Party Charged as Intentional Crime

901 Cause

1021 First Degree Reckless Homicide

1030 Felony Murder: Underlying Crime Completed

1031 Felony Murder: Underlying Crime Attempted

1032 Felony Murder: Death Caused While Committing a Crime as a Party to the Crime: Aiding And Abetting

1208 Second Degree Sexual Assault: Sexual Contact or Intercourse Without Consent by Use or Threat of Force or Violence

1209 Second Degree Sexual Assault: Sexual Contact or Intercourse Without Consent Causing Injury, Illness, Disease or Impairment of a Sexual or Reproductive Organ, or Mental Anguish Requiring Psychiatric Care

1212 Second Degree Sexual Assault: Sexual Contact or Intercourse with a Person Who is Under the Influence of an Intoxicant

1213 Second Degree Sexual Assault: Sexual Contact or Intercourse with a Person the Defendant Knows is Unconscious

1214 Second Degree Sexual Assault: Sexual Contact or Intercourse Without Consent While Aided and Abetted

1215 Second Degree Sexual Assault: Sexual Contact or Intercourse with a Patient or Resident

1216 Second Degree Sexual Assault: Sexual Contact or Intercourse by a Correctional Staff Member

1217 Second Degree Sexual Assault: Sexual Contact or Intercourse by a Probation, Parole, or Extended Supervision Agent

1217A Second Degree Sexual Assault: Sexual Contact or Intercourse by an Employee of an Entity

1226 Battery with Substantial Risk of Great Bodily Harm

1228A Battery by a Person Committed under § 980.065

1231 Battery to a Probation, Extended Supervision and Parole Agent, Community Supervision Agent, or An Aftercare Agent

1237 Battery to an Emergency Medical Care Provider

1238 Battery or Threat to a Witness [Witness Has Attended or Testified]

1241A Battery to Guardian Ad Litem, Corporation Counsel, or Attorney

1241B Threat to Guardian Ad Litem, Corporation Counsel, or Attorney

1242 Battery or Threat to a Department of Revenue Employee

1244 Battery or Threat to a Department of Safety and Professional Services or Department of Workforce Development Employee

1247B Battery or Threat to a Health Care Provider § 940.204(3)

1255 Strangulation and Suffocation

1296 Intimidation of a Victim

1296A Intimidation of a Person Acting on Behalf of a Victim

1297 Intimidation of a Victim

1300 Negligent Operation of a Vehicle

1336 Carrying a Concealed Knife

1424 Burglary with Intent to Commit a Felony

1441 Theft

1443 Theft by Contractor

1443A Theft by Contractor: Defendant Is a Corporate Officer

1444 Theft by Employee, Trustee, or Bailee (Embezzlement)

1450 Theft by One Having an Undisputed Interest in Property from One Having Superior Right of Possession

1453A Theft by Fraud: Representations Made to the Owner, Directly or by a Third Person

1453B Theft by Fraud: Representations Made to an Agent

1453C Theft by Fraud: Failure to Disclose as a Representation

1455 Theft by Failure to Return Leased or Rented Property

1473B Extortion: Injure or Threaten to Injure

1532 Incest: Sexual Intercourse Between Blood Relatives

1900 Disorderly Conduct

2664A Operating a Motor Vehicle While Under the Influence of a Combination of an Intoxicant and a Controlled Substance - Civil Forfeiture

2666A Operating a Motor Vehicle While Under the Influence of any Combination of an Intoxicant and any other Drug to a Degree that Renders Him or Her Incapable of Safely Driving

6001 Finding the Amount of Controlled Substance


Withdrawn instructions


1243 (Withdrawn) Battery to a Nurse



The Library partners with the Office of Judicial Education to provide free access to the Wisconsin Jury Instructions on our website. While updated instructions can be downloaded at any time from our website, many readers may wish to keep their print sets up-to-date. To do so, download and print the sixtieth release. Blank pages have been inserted to make double sided printing easier. File new and updated instructions, along with the updated table of cases and index in your print set. A complete, printable file of all the current Criminal Jury Instructions and finding aids is also available.

May 23, 2022

Job posting: Library Associate - Milwaukee County Law Library

The Milwaukee County Law Library, located in the Milwaukee County Courthouse, is seeking one candidate for Library Associate position. Applicant must be available to fill the 40 hours per week requirements during the normal business hours of 8:30 AM-4:30 PM, Monday-Friday. 

May 19, 2022

Job posting: LTE Library Assistant

The Wisconsin State Law Library, located in the Risser Justice Center, is seeking a candidate for Library Assistant Limited Term Employee (LTE) position. The successful applicant must be available to fill the 20 hour per week morning schedule. The required schedule is 8:30AM- 12:30 PM, Monday through Friday.

April 26, 2022

Jurisdictions in civil actions

Jurisdiction can be a complicated area of law, referring to the authority of a court to hear cases and issue orders. The eBook, Jurisdiction in Civil Acts, examines the concept of jurisdiction in the lens of subject matter jurisdiction, and jurisdiction over a person or property. 

This two volume set of books, written by Robert Casad and others, provides a robust overview of common civil litigation concerns. Learn about the powers and limits of state and federal courts, constitutional considerations, and statutory requirements for establishing the jurisdiction of a civil matter. The second volume includes a focus on case types - such as tort claims and contract issues. A chapter on personal jurisdiction examines a number of different legal concerns, from property actions and consumer law to death on the high seas.

As with every Lexis Digital Library eBook, researchers have a variety of ways to quickly pinpoint their issue. One great feature of Lexis Digital Library is that it keeps the basic finding aids we're accustomed to using in paper-bound books. The Table of Contents is fast to use and clickable, letting you start reading as soon as you find your section. 


I appreciate the speed of an expertly compiled subject index when I need to get a quick survey of where in the book to go for my information. Lexis Digital eBooks include all the finding tools - including subject indexes! Once you've identified the section you need in the index, use the Table of Contents quick link in the toolbar to jump to that section - or just type that section number in the Find search box!



Log into Lexis Digital Library and read Jurisdiction in Civil Acts today!


April 20, 2022

Researching wills in Lexis Digital

Page on the Law of Wills is a well-known treatise on...the law of wills! This ten volume set covers a range of issues - from the history of wills to problems and analysis. In Lexis Digital, it's possible to read this book anytime and from any device. Just sign in with a library card!

This book set includes detailed analysis and helpful case citations, but it also has sample will clauses on a variety of topics. There are two quick ways to jump into form language research. 

1. Search all volumes

Use the search box to search the entire set - or use the Table of Contents to pinpoint a volume and then search that volume directly. This can be useful to help you identify analysis along with the sample language you need.


2. Browse the Forms Book

Volume 7 of Page on the Law of Wills is devoted to sample form language. This volume is arranged according to the chapters of the book. If you identify a chapter that analyzes the issue you are researching, jump to the mirror chapter in volume 7 to look for related forms and will clauses. 


Logging into Lexis Digital

There are a few ways you can log into Lexis Digital.

1. Look for the Lexis Digital link in our catalog - click on links in those book records to jump directly into the book on Lexis Digital. See our catalog record for Page on the law of wills.

2. Visit the library's eBooks page for a direct link to the full Lexis Digital Library. Sign in with your library card, then search or browse for the book you want to use. 

April 6, 2022

Happy National Library Week!

If books are knowledge you can hold in your hand, then the hefty tomes of the law are knowledge you can best hold in the crook of your arm…or perhaps a sturdy bag! With the kickoff of National Library Week on April 4, you can now get a free canvas bookbag with every checkout at our libraries. (While supplies last.) 

Bookbag and books 

This National Library Week we're opening up our Lexis bookbags and talking about what you can read at our libraries. 

Print Books

In his book On Writing, Steven King posits that, "books are a uniquely portable magic." This is certainly true of law books, which hold everything from primary law to analysis to extremely specific and wonderfully time-saving sample forms. Browse through this list of some of our many Lexis-published books in our catalog

Check out these standalone, recently added books:

  • Exculpatory evidence: the accused's constitutional right to introduce favorable evidence
  • Veterans benefits manual
  • What's it worth? a guide to personal injury awards and settlements

Lexis Advance

Supplementing our print offerings, get free access to Lexis Advance to Shepardize citations, research case law, and find journals or books including Nichols on eminent domain and Appleman on insurance. Use Lexis Advance on public computers at the David T. Prosser Jr. Library.  

Lexis Digital Library 

eBooks are easy to hold in your hand, and you can use them on any device. We've gone digital with eBook versions of popular Lexis titles. Log in to the Lexis Digital Library with your Wisconsin State Law Library card to read these books any time, anywhere. Titles include Employment in Wisconsin: Guide to Employment Law, Collier on Bankruptcy, Corbin on Contracts, Moore's Federal Practice, and more. If you don't have a library card, you can still use Lexis Digital using the public computers at our libraries. 

We're excited to announce new eBook access for the following books! Can't make it to the library? No problem! Add these books to your virtual bookbag. All you need is a library card. 

  • Collier family law and the bankruptcy code
  • Criminal practice
  • Cross examination: science & techniques
  • Eyewitness testimony
  • Jurisdictions in civil actions
  • Law of premises liability
  • New Appleman on insurance law
  • Prosecutorial misconduct
  • State constitutional law
  • Thompson on real property
  • Warrens forms of agreements
  • Waters & water rights

Stick with us all month, where we'll be blogging about some of our recent eBook additions and telling you how you can make the best use of your time with Lexis Digital Library.

March 14, 2022

Wisconsin Civil Jury Instructions 2022 Update

The most recent supplement to the Wisconsin Civil Jury Instructions has been approved by the Wisconsin Judicial Conference's Civil Jury Instructions Committee. The fifty-third supplement to this publication includes fifty-three new and updated instructions for the set. These updates reflect legislative actions and judicial decisions through January 21, 2022.

For information on the Committee’s work, please contact Bryce Pierson at bryce.pierson@wicourts.gov.

New instructions include

  • 1393 Liability of a participant in a recreational activity
  • 3079 Termination of easement by abandonment
  • 7050A Involuntary Commitment: Mentally Ill: Recommitment Alleging Wis. Stat. 51.20(1)(am)(Released in late 2021 as an interim release)

Amended instructions include

  • 50 Preliminary Instruction: Before Trial
  • 400 Spoliation: Inference
  • 1008 Intoxication: Chemical Test Results [Reflects Changes in 2003 Wisconsin Act 30]
  • 1023 Medical Negligence
  • 1023.5 Professional Negligence: Legal-Status of Lawyer as a Specialist is Not in Dispute
  • 1153 Right of Way: At Intersection with Through Highway
  • 1155 Right of Way: At Intersections of Highways 
  • 1157 Right of Way: At Intersection of Highways: Ultimate Verdict Question
  • 1158 Right of Way: To Pedestrian Crossing at Controlled Intersection (
  • 1159 Right of Way: Pedestrian Control Signal: Walk Signal
  • 1160 Right of Way: To Pedestrian at Intersections or Crosswalks on Divided Highways or Highways Provided with Safety Zones
  • 1165 Right of Way: To Pedestrian at Uncontrolled Intersection or Crosswalk
  • 1170 Right of Way: Blind Pedestrian on Highway
  • 1175 Right of Way: Entering Highway from an Alley or Nonhighway Access Point
  • 1180 Right of Way: Funeral Processions; Military Convoys
  • 1185 Right of Way: Green Arrow 
  • 1190 Right of Way: Green Signal 
  • 1190.5 Plaintiff and Defendant Each Claims Green Light in Their Favor 
  • 1191 Duty of Driver Entering Intersection with Green Light in Driver's Favor: Lookout
  • 1192 Duty of Driver Approaching Intersection When Amber Light Shows 
  • 1193 Red Traffic Control Light Signaling Stop
  • 1193.5 Flashing Red Traffic Control Light
  • 1195 Right of Way: Left Turn at Intersection
  • 1205 Right of Way: Moving from Parked Position 
  • 1210 Right of Way: On Approach of Emergency Vehicle
  • 1220 Right of Way: Pedestrian's Duty: At Pedestrian Control Signal
  • 1225 Right of Way: Pedestrian's Duty: Crossing at Controlled Intersection or Crosswalk 
  • 1230 Right of Way: Pedestrian's Duty: Crossing Roadway at Point Other than Crosswalk
  • 1235 Right of Way: Pedestrian's Duty: Divided Highways or Highways with Safety Zones
  • 1240 Right of Way: Pedestrian's Duty: Facing Green Arrow 
  • 1245 Right of Way: Pedestrian's Duty: Facing Red Signal
  • 1250 Right of Way: Pedestrian's Duty: Standing or Loitering on Highway 
  • 1255 Right of Way: Pedestrian's Duty: Standing or Loitering on Highway Crosswalk; Suddenly Leaving Curb or Place of Safety 
  • 1260 Position on Highway: Pedestrian's Duty; Walking on Highway
  • 1265 Right of Way: Persons Working on Highway
  • 1270 Right of Way: When Vehicle Using Alley or Nonhighway Access to Stop
  • 1275 Right of Way: When Yield Sign Installed 
  • 1762 Personal Injuries: Future Loss of Earning Capacity
  • 1900.4 Safe-Place Statute: Injury to Frequenter: Negligence of Employer or Owner of a Place of Employment 
  • 2600 Malicious Prosecution: Instituting a Criminal Proceeding
  • 2605 Malicious Prosecution: Instituting a Civil Proceeding
  • 2770 Wisconsin Fair Dealership Law: Good Cause for Termination, Cancellation, Nonrenewal, Failure to Renew, or Substantial Change in Competitive Circumstances (Wis. Stat. § 135.03) 
  • 2790 Trade Name Infringement
  • 3028 Contracts Implied in Law (Unjust Enrichment)
  • 3110 Insurance Contract: Definition of "Resident" or "Member of a Household"
  • 7050 Involuntary Commitment: Mentally Ill
  • 8025 Trespass: Owner's Duty to Trespasser; Duty to Child Trespasser (Attractive Nuisance)
  • 8060 Adverse Possession Not Founded on Written Instrument (Wis. Stat. § 893.25) 
  • 8100 Eminent Domain: Fair Market Value (Total Taking) 
  • 8120 Eminent Domain: Comparable Sales Approach

The Library partners with the Office of Judicial Education to provide free access to the Wisconsin Jury Instructions on our website. While updated instructions can be downloaded at any time from our website, many readers may wish to keep their print sets up-to-date. To do so, download and print the fifty-third release. Blank pages have been inserted to make double sided printing easier. File new and updated instructions, along with the updated table of cases and index in your print set. A complete, printable file of all the current Civil Jury Instructions and finding aids is also available.

February 2, 2022

Vaccination Research Sources

HeinOnline recently rolled out a new collection available to our library users - the Vaccination subcollection in their COVID-19: Pandemics Past and Present database. This collection helps researchers explore vaccination history and policy for COVID-19 and other diseases. Documents include titles on vaccine mandates and laws, as well as the development of various vaccinations. 

Learn more about what you can find on HeinOnline in their recent posts on these topics: 
New Vaccination Subcollection Now Available in Our COVID-19 Database

Mandates to Vaccinate: A Brief History



For a quick survey of some recent articles on vaccination and COVID-19, see the list below: 

Student immunization program, Wisconsin Legislative Council Issue Brief (2022)

Marguerite Z. Hammes & Grant C. Killoran, Covid-19 Vaccination: Legal Landscape and Challenges, Wis. Law., February 2021, at 36 Available in HeinOnline and Westlaw

Dorit Reiss, Politicization of Science, Hum. Rts., 2021, at 20, available in HeinOnline and Westlaw

Dana B. Taschner & Ashley Atwood, Covid-19: Legal Framework for Vaccine Distributions and Mandates, 24 SMU Sci. & Tech. L. Rev. 65 (2021) available in HeinOnline and Westlaw

Christine Tenley, What Does New Orleans' Proof of Vaccination Requirement Mean for Employers?, Bus. L. Today, August 2021, at 5 Available in Westlaw

Jonathan L. Iwry (FNd1), Fda Emergency Use Authorization from 9/11 to Covid-19: Historical Lessons and Ethical Challenges, 76 Food & Drug L.J. 337 (2021) Available in HeinOnline and Westlaw

Diane Heckman, J.D., The Legality of Mandatory Vaccinations of K-12 Public School Students and the Implications for the Covid-19 Universe, 388 Ed. Law Rep. 453 (2021) Available in Westlaw

Katherine A. Macfarlane, Disability Without Documentation, 90 Fordham L. Rev. 59 (2021) Available in HeinOnline and Westlaw

Elias Feldman, Vaccination and the Child's Right to an Open Future, 25 Lewis & Clark L. Rev. 209 (2021) Available in HeinOnline and Westlaw

Rob Kahn, "My Face, My Choice?" - Mask Mandates, Bans, and Burqas in the Covid Age, 14 NYU J.L. & Liberty 651 (2021) Available in Hein Online and Westlaw

John D. Winter et. al., Vaccine-Related Liability: Past Approaches, Current Challenges, and Proposals for Encouraging Future Innovation and More Widespread Vaccine Use, 76 Food & Drug L.J. 270 (2021) (2021) Available in HeinOnline and Westlaw 

Robert Gatter, Reviving Focused Scrutiny in the Constitutional Review of Public Health Measures, 64 Wash. U. J.L. & Pol'y 151 (2021) Available in HeinOnline and Westlaw

Emily R. Jones, Who Calls the Shots?: Parents Versus the Parens Patriae Power of the States to Mandate Vaccines for Children in New York, 37 Ga. St. U. L. Rev. 637 (2021) Available in HeinOnline and Westlaw

Dorit R. Reiss (FNa1) (FNr1) & Arthur L. Caplan (FNd1), Considerations in Mandating A New Covid-19 Vaccine in the Usa for Children and Adults, 7 J.L. & Biosciences 1 (2020) Available in Westlaw

Dorit Rubinstein Reiss, Litigating Alternative Facts: School Vaccine Mandates in the Courts, 21 U. Pa. J. Const. L. 207 (2018) Available in HeinOnline and Westlaw

January 3, 2022

Job Posting: LTE Library Associate - Milwaukee County

The Milwaukee County Law Library, located in the Milwaukee County Courthouse, is seeking one candidate for Library Associate Limited Term Employee (LTE) position. The successful applicant must be available to fill the 24 hour per week requirements during the normal business hours of 8:30 AM-4:30 PM, Monday-Friday.  

Learn more & apply

Job Posting: LTE Library Associate - Dane County

The Dane County Law Library, located in the Dane County Courthouse, is seeking a candidate for Library Associate Limited Term Employee (LTE) position. The successful applicant must be available to fill the 20 hour per week requirements during the normal business hours of 8:30 AM-4:30 PM, Monday-Friday. This specific position will be expected to work 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM.  

Learn more & apply


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