April 8, 2026 – No longer limited by a lack of staff, the Wisconsin Judicial Council has renewed vigor and increased capacity to fulfill its statutory purpose: to study and improve court practice and procedure.

For more than eight years, the Council relied on its own volunteer council and committee members to conduct all substantive work and administrative tasks. But with the Legislature having restored funding in the current budget cycle, the Council now has dedicated staff to significantly increase its productivity.

I introduce to you the Council’s new staff attorney: Natalie Zibolski.

Zibolski joins the Council from a strong litigation background. For more than seven years, she practiced as an assistant district attorney in Marathon County and was in court almost daily. She understands the benefit of clear court procedural rules and the need to revise rules when outdated or impractical. Plus, based on her experience in Marathon County, she is familiar with the needs of legal practitioners from the central and northern parts of the state.

Zibolski looks forward to supporting the Council’s work.

She works remotely from Wausau.

Most of the Judicial Council's research and drafting work occurs within its three regular committees: the Evidence and Civil Procedure Committee (Atty. Thomas Shriner, chair), the Appellate Procedure Committee (Hon. Rachel Graham, chair), and the Criminal Procedure Committee (Atty. Daniel J. Blinka, chair).

The Evidence and Civil Procedure Committee anticipates finishing in the next few months a lengthy project updating the rules of evidence. More updates on that project, and the work of the Appellate Procedure Committee and Criminal Procedure Committee, are to come.

Often, the standing committees identify possible procedural rules for study. However, rule suggestions can come from a variety of sources, not just Council and committee members. The Supreme Court or Legislature may refer areas of study to the Council, and suggestions may come from practicing lawyers, litigants, the State Bar of Wisconsin, law professors, or the public.

Last year, the Supreme Court suggested that the Council study issues related to access to qualified court interpreters in municipal courts. Now supported by the new staff attorney, the Council has formally taken up this suggestion and created a Committee on Municipal Court Interpreters, chaired by Dodge County Circuit Judge Kristine Snow. Judge Snow is currently assembling the committee members, with an inaugural meeting scheduled in April.

If you would like to suggest possible changes to the rules of practice and procedure that the Council or one of its committees should study, please send them to one of the State Bar representatives to the Council or to ​Zibolski.