In a 2010 opinion, the Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously concluded that lower courts may not dismiss prior published authority as dicta. The court’s reasoning was that by dismissing a statement as dictum, a court necessarily withdraws or modifies the opinion in which it appeared. The authors suggest that this approach is unworkable and that the supreme court can mirror the pragmatic federal approach and return to a middle ground.

Insurance policy single claim provisions, which combine into one claim multiple claims that are based on interrelated wrongful acts, sometimes benefit insureds but usually operate to their detriment. This article illustrates the operation of a typical single claim provision and suggests strategies for insureds and insurance companies to avoid or preserve their applicability.

The authors provide an overview and critique of our current voting systems, summarize various available reforms, and make the case for one particular election system, Final Five Elections.