Feb. 15, 2012 – If you answered “no” to either of these questions, you need the 2012 supplement to Appellate Practice and Procedure in Wisconsin. Written by Michael S. Heffernan and published by State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE^®, this resource is now available both in print and via Books UnBound^®, PINNACLE’s subscription-based online library.

Keep track of noteworthy cases and legislative amendments

According to Heffernan, in 2011, a majority of the Wisconsin Supreme Court prospectively adopted a bright-line rule for determining the timeliness of papers filed in the circuit court. If a clerk receives documents after hours on one day, the clerk must treat the papers as having been filed on the following business day. Also in 2011, the supreme court outlined steps the Wisconsin Court of Appeals should take before sanctioning an attorney for “falsely” certifying the sufficiency of an appendix. The court of appeals should first issue a show-cause order, permitting the attorney to explain his or her conduct before the court reaches its final decision.

The 2012 supplement also updates readers on amendments to statutes affecting appellate practice, including a new statutory provision governing venue in appeals of circuit court cases in which the sole defendant was the state or an agent of the state, and a new statute dealing with costs and fees in frivolous appeals.

Learn the basic steps to an appeal, and gain insights about special procedures

The 2012 supplement to Appellate Practice and Procedure offers practical guidance on such basic steps as

• Filing a notice of appeal,
• Preparing appellate briefs,
• Making oral argument, and
• Petitioning for supreme court review.

The book also explains such specific procedures as

• Expedited appeals,
• One-judge appeals,
• Administrative appeals,
• Petitions for supervisory relief, and
• Postdecision motions.

Put helpful resources in your hands with the Appellate book’s appendices

Appellate Practice and Procedure includes several indispensable appendices, among them an extensive “Standards of Appellate Review” outline, prepared by the Hon. Richard S. Brown, the current chief judge of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. This appendix focuses on the standards appellate courts follow in reviewing circuit court decisions.

Another appendix compiles 30 forms used in the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. All forms are furnished on a CD-ROM that accompanies the print book. Books UnBound subscribers may access the forms online.

Other appendices include handy listings of contact numbers and addresses of offices pertinent to appellate practice; materials for expedited appeals; and the complete text of the Wisconsin Rules of Appellate Procedure, updated to include all legislation through 2011.

Order your copy

The print version of Appellate Practice and Procedure is available to members for $155 and nonmembers for $195, plus tax, shipping, and handling; subscribers to the Bar’s automatic supplementation service receive updates at a discount off the regular price. Annual subscriptions to Books UnBound start at $129 per title and $649 for the full library (single-user prices; call for firm pricing). Order online, or for more information, contact the State Bar at (800) 728-7788 or (608) 257-3838.