Wisconsin State Law Library

Serving the Wisconsin Supreme Court and State of Wisconsin

Skip to content

Website Catalog
You Are Here: Home > About Us > Library Highlights

Library Highlights

Showing posts with label home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home. Show all posts

March 25, 2020

Tracking legislation by alert

In our current news cycle, information written just last week may already be out of date. How do you stay on top of updates to legislation?

The Library of Congress has put out a research guide on how to use alerts on Congress.gov, the website used to track Federal legislation.

Congress.gov Keeps You Up To Date With Email Alerts explains the different types of alerts you can set up on that website to get the most recent updates.

You can also simply do a keyword search and use the RSS and share features at the top of the results page to stay on top of general topics.


Presidential proclamations can be tracked on the WhiteHouse.gov website.

For Wisconsin legislation, create an account on the Legislature's website to set up keyword or bill alerts. From the home page, look for the notification service link. On many pages, look for the RSS symbol near the top of the page to get RSS updates on particular bills or the current legislative session.

For Wisconsin Executive Orders, get to the most recent orders on the Governor's website. You can also sign up to get emailed press releases from this site.  

Ask a librarian if you need help tracking down information! We're happy to help. Contact us using our online form, or send an email to wsll.ref@wicourts.gov.
Labels: ,

March 16, 2020

Libraries Closed March 17 - April 3

The David T. Prosser Jr. State Law Library, Milwaukee County Law Library, and Dane County Law Library will be closed beginning Tuesday, March 17 and going through Friday, April 3rd. During this time, we will temporarily transition to providing online and remote services only.

During efforts to contain COVID-19, our three libraries may be reached by email. Our goal is to respond within 48 hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

Send research requests to: 

wsll.ref@wicourts.gov or use our online form 

Both county law libraries may be reached by email: 

Milwaukee County Law Library: mcll.ref@wicourts.gov
Dane County Law Library: dcll.ref@wicourts.gov 

We wish you health and safety, and will do our best to help you while we are closed.
Labels: ,

February 11, 2020

Researching treatment courts

The most recent issue of The Third Branch talks about the growth of treatment courts in Wisconsin. These "problem-solving" courts work to address underlying issues related to criminal behavior. According to the article, Treatment court growth driven by strategy, 90 specialty courts already operate throughout Wisconsin, with seven more under development for 2020.

Treatment courts are a growing area of scholarship, and a growing collection in our library. In 2005, the library began to collect drug court research materials at the Dane County Law Library. Now, we've added more to our print collection, as well as through online databases.

The Library's recent research guide, Drug and alternative treatment courts, is a quick start guide to researching these specialty courts. Get links to current standards and reports, as well as recent articles and additions to the library. This guide complements and expands on our Drug & Alternative Treatment Courts legal topic page.

Drug and alternative treatment courts research guide

Labels: ,

January 30, 2020

Job Posting: Library Assistant

Are you a detail-oriented individual looking for part-time work? The Wisconsin State Law Library is searching for a Library Assistant, 10 hours per week. Flexible scheduling available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. This is a technical services position that works mainly with the appellate court briefs collection.
Duties include: scanning, processing, and shelving appellate court briefs; data entry, bindery prep, and other collection maintenance activities including shelf-maintenance and shifting of library materials.
Skills include: exceptional organizational skills, above average computing skills, and the ability to follow written directions. Scanning experience is preferred. A demonstrated ability to do multiple tasks with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail is required! 
Pay: $11.25/hour.
Start date: March 2nd, 2020
Location: The Wisconsin State Law Library is located on a bus line, just off the Capitol Square at 120 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Madison.
To apply: Please email your resume and cover letter to Angela.Humiston@wicourts.gov. You must include your hours available for work, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Employment will require a criminal background check.
Deadline for applications: Wednesday, February 12th, 2020
Labels:

January 17, 2020

January WSLL @ Your Service

The January issue of WSLL @ Your Service is now online. Happy New Year! Your comments are always welcome. 



In this issue:
The Wisconsin Briefs database houses more than 100,000 appellate briefs and appendices, and recently moved to a new website. Read more

New Books
This month's featured titles are Home Business Tax Deductions: Keep What You Earn and Divorce & Money: Making the Best Financial Decisions During Divorce. Don't miss this month's new book list as well! Read more

Tech Tip
This month features two tech tips: resources for the new California data privacy law and a Google Scholar button for your browser. Read more

Library News
Catch up on library staff news and be sure to check out our first CLE classes for the new year. Read more

January Snapshot
Julie attended the annual Beacon & Eggs breakfast to benefit The Beacon. The Beacon is a resource center for individuals who are experiencing homelessness in Madison. Read more
Labels: ,

December 26, 2019

Libraries Closed on December 31 and January 1

The David T. Prosser Jr. Library, and Milwaukee and Dane County Law Libraries will be closed on December 31 and January 1 for state holidays.

We will respond to questions and requests on the next business day. To send a question to the Wisconsin State Law Library while we are closed, you may call us at 608-267-9696 or Ask a Librarian online.


Labels:

December 20, 2019

Libraries Closed on December 24 and 25

The David T. Prosser Jr. Library, and Milwaukee and Dane County Law Libraries will be closed on December 24, 25, and 31, and January 1 for state holidays.

We will respond to questions and requests on the next business day. To send a question to the Wisconsin State Law Library while we are closed, you may call us at 608-267-9696 or Ask a Librarian online.


Labels:

December 16, 2019

WSLL @ Your Service December 2019

The December issue of WSLL @ Your Service is online. Your comments are welcome! Please direct them to the editor, Carol Hassler.

In this issue:

HeinOnline's new collection is a tremendous resource for state constitutional law and political history researchers. State Constitutions Illustrated contains current and historic constitutions of the fifty states of the United States along with an extensive collection of documents and primary sources from before statehood. Read more

Schedule a breather in your busy schedule for our open house on Wednesday, December 18. From 3:00 to 4:30 in the David T. Prosser Jr. Library, enjoy refreshments in our beautiful reading room. Read more

This month's featured titles are The Foreclosure Survival Guide: Keep Your House or Walk Away with Money in Your Pocket and Student Loan Law. Our full new book list is also available to peruse! Read more

Google makes quick work of finding current and historical stock prices. With just a few keystrokes you can access a wealth of securities data as part of Google Finance. Read more

Wisconsin-licensed attorneys, you can become an After Hours subscriber and enjoy a full year of library access at times convenient for you. Read more

Read our 2018 annual report, get updates on the first of our 2020 CLE classes, and add our holiday closures to your calendar. Read more


Four of our library staff had the opportunity to tour the newly finished State Archive Preservation Facility as part of a state agency librarian meeting. Read more
Labels: ,

December Open House

Schedule a breather in your busy schedule for our open house on Wednesday, December 18. From 3:00 to 4:30 in the David T. Prosser Jr. Library, enjoy refreshments in our beautiful reading room. Back by popular demand, we'll have card and party games on hand to pass the time and break the ice. You can also try your estimation skills at our candy jar guessing game for a chance to win a water bottle full of treats!



Wednesday, December 18
3:00 - 4:30 p.m.

Reading Room
David T. Prosser Jr. State Law Library
120 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Labels: ,

November 27, 2019

County Highway History

A recent article from WPR answers the question, Why are Wisconsin's county highways lettered and not numbered?

It's a great article, but we thought we'd add to it by linking to some other sources. Did you know you can read many of Wisconsin's historical laws online?

1911 Wisconsin Act 337 created the State Highway Commission, which is credited for creating a uniform system of highways in the state. In 1917, the legislature created the state trunk highway system with 1917 Wisconsin Act 175. A county trunk system was set up with 1925 Wisconsin Act 263, although according to various sources (e.g. this summary from Wisconsin Highways) a system was already established between counties prior to the legislature passing a law.

For a thorough historical overview, read A history of Wisconsin highway development, 1835-1945. This book has been digitized with the help of libraries and is available to read online.

Read A history of Wisconsin highway development, 1835-1945
This book provides a historical survey of roads from Wisconsin's territorial days up through 1945, and maps, photos, and figures complement the report. You can read more about the creation of the county trunk highway system as well.
"In 1921, a movement developed wherin the county boards determined to restrict the improvement of the County Systems of Prospective State Highways to certain preferred roads, and many county boards laid out county Trunk Highway Systems without legislative authorization to establish such systems. In many cases the county boards determined to patrol only certain roads, and in other cases the boards assumed greater responsibility. Some roads designated county trunk highways by the county boards were not officially approved portions of the County Systems of Prospective State Highways. By 1924, every county in the state had laid out such a system, with the effect that each county had assumed responsibility for a system of preferred highways composed in general of portions of the County Systems of Prospective State Highways, which totaled approximately 11,000 miles." - page 58 (p. 90 of the file) of A history of Wisconsin highway development, 1835-1945
Labels: ,

November 22, 2019

Thanksgiving holiday closures

All three library locations will be closed on Thanksgiving - Thursday, November 28. The Dane County Law Library and the Milwaukee County Law Library will remain closed on Friday, November 29. The David T. Prosser Jr. State Law Library will be open on Friday, November 29th.

Call the Reference Desk at 608-267-9696 and leave a voicemail, or Ask a Librarian online while we are closed. We will respond to you the next business day.
Labels:

November 19, 2019

New Wisconsin Briefs Database

For several years, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has hosted an archive of Supreme Court and Court of Appeals briefs on their website. The Wisconsin Briefs database houses more than 100,000 appellate briefs and appendices filed in cases that were decided from around 1992-2009. The Wisconsin State Law Library scanned and compiled the original database, and partners with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law Library which hosts this database online.

This fall, the UW Law Library finished moving their briefs database to a new website, the UW Law Library Digital Repository collections. The new Wisconsin Briefs repository works similar to the old site. 

Researchers can search by the case citation or docket number. Follow the format of the search examples when doing a search. Click on an item in the search results list to see more details, and select the image or "Click to View" text to read or download the brief. 


Did you know that we maintain a Wisconsin appellate briefs archive that dates back to the inception of the Supreme Court in 1839? Learn more about the complete Wisconsin briefs archive on our website. 


Labels: ,

October 17, 2019

Free Information Sessions at Madison College

Madison College is hosting two free information sessions this fall. Both sessions will be held at the Goodman South Campus in Madison (2429 Perry Street, Madison WI 53713). Learn more on the Learning Opportunities section of their community resources page.

click image to enlarge

Know Your Rights on Housing and Employment Discrimination
Saturday, October 26, 2019 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

click image to enlarge

Know the Law on Immigration
Saturday, November 9, 2019 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Labels: ,

October 7, 2019

WSLL @ Your Service October 2019

The October issue of WSLL @ Your Service is now online. Your comments are welcome! Please direct them to the editor, Carol Hassler. 



In this issue:

Indigenous Law Portal
The Indigenous Law Portal is a valuable resource for researching indigenous law throughout the world. This year, the portal has moved to a new home, LLMC Digital, where researchers can continue to use it for free. Read more

New Books
Our featured titles this month are Environmental Litigation: Law and Strategy and The Lawyer's Guide to Increasing Revenue: Heighten Client Satisfaction, Improve Law Firm Morale, Enhance Revenue and Profitability. Our full October new book list is also available. Read more

Tech Tip
The "related" Google command is a useful way to discover industry competitors as well as like-minded associations. Read more

Library News
Rare books, classes and training opportunities, and more fill up this issue of library news. Read more

October Snapshot
At the David T. Prosser Jr. Library, we've moved some of our public computers into the bookstacks to create quiet workspaces throughout the library. Read more
Labels: ,

September 30, 2019

Sports Gambling Research

Go Badgers! Go Packers! Go Brewers! It is that sweet time of year for certain sports fans when you have your choice of a variety of professional or amateur sports, along with the anticipation of upcoming seasons like basketball and hockey.
image source
With sports viewing there enters the opportunity for gambling. Holy Cross economist Victor Matheson stated on the Freakonomics podcast titled “The Economics of Sports Gambling”:
“So the oldest organized sports that we have a good date on is the Olympics. The Olympics came about in 776 B.C. … We have fairly good evidence that the first gambling on the Olympics occurred in about 775 B.C. So as soon as they started playing games, someone started gambling on it.”
See this list of information on sports gambling for resources available from the Wisconsin State Law Library, compiled by Jaime Healy-Plotkin.

Wisconsin


  • Is office gambling a safe bet? by Justin H. Lessner. Wisconsin Employment Law Letter 23 No. 3 Wis. Emp. L. Letter 3
  • The predominate goliath: why pay-to-play daily fantasy sports are games of skill under the dominant factor test, by Jeffrey C. Meehan. 26 Marq. Sports L. Rev. 5. Marquette Sports Law Review. Available in the library and online in HeinOnline and Westlaw.
  • Not just a fantasy: the real benefits of daily fantasy sports legislation for Wisconsin, by Brian C. Miller. 2017 Wis. L. Rev. 1273. Wisconsin Law Review. Available in the library and online in HeinOnline, Index to Legal Periodicals, and Westlaw.
  • Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 945

General



Case Law



Online Resources



Articles


  • Know when to fold 'em: the international effects of Murphy v. NCAA and why Antigua holds the cards, by Katie Berry. 8 Ariz. St. Sports & Ent. L.J. 93. Arizona State Sports & Entertainment Law Journal. Available in Westlaw
  • Murphy v. NCAA, 138 S. Ct. 1461 (2018), Erica L. Bishop. 45 Ohio N.U. L. Rev. 239. Ohio Northern University Law Review. Available in HeinOnline and Westlaw.
  • Passing the ball: the United States Supreme Court strikes down PASPA and throws sports gambling back to state legislatures, Hunter M. Haines. 78 Md. L. Rev. 604. Maryland Law Review. Available in HeinOnline and Westlaw.
  • New Jersey beat the spread: Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association and the demise of PASPA allows for states to experiment in regulating the rapidly evolving sports gambling industry, by Matthew Melone. 80 U. Pitt. L. Rev. 315. University of Pittsburgh Law Review. Available in HeinOnline, Index to Legal Periodicals, and Westlaw.
  • How is the integrity of sport protected in the United States? by Matthew J. Mitten. 19 TXRESL 89. Texas Review of Entertainment & Sports Law. Available in HeinOnline and Westlaw.
  • Regulated sports betting: Ohio's chance to take a bet on itself, by Robert Porter. 67 Clev. St. L. Rev. 267. Cleveland State Law Review. Available in HeinOnline and Westlaw.
  • Murphy v. Nat'l Collegiate Athletic Ass'n: the court legalizes sports gambling, but constitutional questions remain, by Joseph Stiers. 14 J. Bus. & Tech. L. 135. Journal of Business & Technology Law. Available in HeinOnline and Westlaw.
  • Tenth amendment--constitutional remedies-- severability--Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association. 132 Harv. L. Rev. 387. Harvard Law Review. Available in HeinOnline and Westlaw.
  • On the clock, best bet to draft cyberdefensive linemen: federal regulation of sports betting from a cybersecurity perspective, by William H. Williams. 13 Brook. J. Corp. Fin. & Com. L. 539. Brooklyn Journal of Corporate, Financial & Commercial Law. Available in HeinOnline and Westlaw.
  • A comparative overview of eSports against traditional sports focused in the legal realm of monetary exploitation, cheating, and gambling, by Sok Min Yun. 37 Cardozo Arts & Ent. L.J. 513. Cardozo Arts and Entertainment Law Journal. Available in HeinOnline, Index to Legal Periodicals, and Westlaw.
Labels: , , ,

September 27, 2019

Where to Find Landlord Tenant Forms

We're often asked for rental forms at the library and we're able to provide fillable or sample forms from a variety of sources.

Some counties have created landlord/tenant forms, such as eviction notices or checklists. We link to these on our County Legal Resources database under "Landlord/Tenant." 

image source

In each of our libraries, we re-sell forms created by the Wisconsin Legal Blank company. If you're looking for these forms near you, check with your local office supply store to see if they sell them. They can also be purchased online through the Wisconsin Legal Blank website. These forms include:

  • Residential Lease (Form 19) 
  • Tenant Inspection/Acceptance (Form 993)
  • 28-day Notice Terminating Tenancy (Form 327)
  • 14-day Notice to Correct Breach (Form 767) 
  • 14-day Notice Terminating Tenancy (Form 768)
  • 5-day Notice to Correct Breach (Form 330)
  • 5-day Notice to Quit or Pay Rent (Form 328)
  • 5-day Notice to Vacate - Criminal activity or drug related criminal activity (Form 334)
  • 5-day Notice to Vacate - Imminent threat of serious physical harm (Form 333)
  • 5-day Notice to Vacate - Nuisance (Form 329)

Pages from the Tenant Resource Center website are also useful for locating sample forms. Their resources for tenants and resources for landlords pages include sample forms and letters, like check-in and check-out forms, payment agreements, security deposit letters, and termination agreements.

A book in our collection that was published by the Tenant Resource Center, Apartment management in Wisconsin (2004), includes many sample forms and letters including:

  • Acceptance of rental application
  • Application for co-signer
  • Credit check notification
  • Landlord entry notice
  • Lead-based hazard notifications
  • Nonrenewal of month-to-month tenancy
  • Not sufficient funds letter
  • Rejection of rental application
  • Renewal of lease
  • Repair request
  • Security deposit deductions
  • Sublet agreement
  • Termination of tenancy by mutual agreement
If you ever forget where to find these, just head to our Landlord/Tenant legal topic page, or ask a librarian for help. Finally, for those harder-to-find commercial lease forms, check our Commercial Lease research guide for a list of books in our library which have information and sample forms about commercial leases. 
Labels: ,

September 26, 2019

Badgerlink databases temporarily unavailable

Badgerlink databases, such as Academic Search Premier and Newspaper Source Plus, will be unavailable from September 27-30, 2019 for system maintenance and upgrades.

Please ask a librarian if you need help with research. Call us at 608-267-9696 or email us at wsll.ref@wicourts.gov.
Labels:

September 5, 2019

WSLL @ Your Service September 2019

The September issue of WSLL @ Your Service is now online. Your comments are welcome! Please direct them to the editor, Carol Hassler.


In this issue: 

Read it online with your library card 

Did you know you can access HeinOnline, LLMC Digital, and Index to Legal Periodicals outside one of our libraries, for free? You just need our library card.

Leave Your Card at Home

September is Library Card Sign-up Month and while we love our library cards, it's not always convenient to carry them around. You can take a photo of your card and store it in your phone for easy access.

New Books

Our featured titles this month are What Are My Rights? Q & A About Teens and the Law and Handbook on Household Hazardous Waste. Our September new book list is also included.

Tech Tip 

Link rot. It's an apt name for a serious and annoying problem. Link rot is when an online link no longer leads to the information being cited.

Library News 

Read library staff news, find opportunities to listen to us speak, and see a list of upcoming CLE class opportunities.

September Snapshot 

Julie Robinson gave a lunchtime presentation to Sauk County Bar Association members in picturesque Baraboo. Afterwards, she stopped by the next-door Circus World for some photos.

Read the September issue of WSLL @ Your Service now!
Labels:

August 1, 2019

WSLL @ Your Service August 2019

The August issue of WSLL @ Your Service is now online. Your comments are welcome! Please direct them to the editor, Carol Hassler.

In this issue:

Welcome to the library

August is the month of back to school sales and the last of family vacations, but for the Library it's time to welcome new users. Read more


Wisconsin briefs database

The Wisconsin Briefs Database houses more than 100,000 appellate briefs and appendices filed in cases that were decided from around 1992-2009. Read more


New books

Our two featured titles this month are Marital Property Law & Practice in Wisconsin, and Science Bench Book for Judges. Our August new book list featuring all our new and updated titles is also available. Read more

Tech tip

Get tips for filtering email by registering your own domain name and then adding email services to the hosting package. Read more


Library news

Learn about August classes, librarian speaking events, the Labor Day holiday, and read an AALL conference report. Read more


August snapshot

We are grateful to Ismael Ozanne, Dane County District Attorney, for setting aside time in July to talk to our library staff and answer questions about the District Attorney's office and criminal procedure. Read more
Labels: ,

July 22, 2019

Databases in our libraries

Public computers at our libraries provide access to many subscription-based and free research sources. We often talk about what you can search by signing in with your library card. While you can get to a lot of information from anywhere with a Wisconsin State Law Library card, other sources are only available in the library.

Westlaw is available at all three libraries. The library's subscription to Westlaw includes primary law databases (case law, statutes, codes) at the Wisconsin and federal level plus all 50 states. In addition, users can access law reviews, forms, and several treatises. KeyCite, a citation verification tool, is also included. Wireless users at the  David T. Prosser Jr. Library can also access Westlaw from their own devices.
Lexis Advance is available at the David T. Prosser Jr. Library. The library's subscription to Lexis Advance includes primary law databases (case law, statutes, codes) at the Wisconsin and federal level plus all 50 states. In addition, users can search popular treatises and Shepardize citations.
While we have an extensive collection of Wisconsin Jury Instructions, past and present, you can also search or browse these through FastCase on our public computers. The FastCase archive of Wisconsin's jury instructions goes back to 2015.

Do you have a question about local government? Liquor licenses? Zoning powers? The “Legal Opinions” database from the League of Wisconsin Municipalities may have the answer. This CD-ROM includes almost three decades of legal analysis as well as League manuals on assessments, annexation, meeting conduct, and more. This resource is available at the David T. Prosser Jr. Library.
The OED is a well-established source on the meaning and history of words in the English language. This resource is updated quarterly and is available in all three libraries. The library also has a print copy of the most recent edition available at the David T. Prosser Jr. Library.
The National Consumer Law Center library features full access to 20 treatises on consumer law. Popular titles include Consumer Class Actions; Consumer Bankruptcy Law and Practice; Credit Discrimination; Fair Credit Reporting; and Student Loan Law. Many of these are in print in our library, but can be easily keyword searched through this database.
Search BNA Bloomberg law books, do docket searching, and use Bloomberg Law's legal research and business intelligence tools to find what you need. This resource is available at the David T. Prosser Jr. Library.
This website provides access to Wisconsin State Bar online PINNACLE books collection and forms. You can easily keyword search books here, and access the downloadable forms for our print copies (which used to be issued on CD). Ask a librarian to sign you in.
Labels:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Ask a Question

Blog Archive