Wisconsin State Law Library

What's New - Carol Hassler

New brochures available

Stop by any of our libraries to pick up one of our new brochures. Our two branch libraries in the Milwaukee and Dane county courthouses have released new brochures featuring their recent name changes and coordinated logos. The Wisconsin State Law Library released an all-new brochure which highlights our unique library spaces and services. Follow the linked images below to read the full brochures online.

Fall class signup underway

Our fall CLE classes are starting to fill up. Visit our classes page to learn more and register.

Madison: Space is still available in our Finding Wisconsin Public Records class on September 18th. Learn how to find public records on individuals and businesses in this information packed class.

Milwaukee: Don't miss People Search on September 9th. Beverly Butula, Manager of Library Services at Davis & Kuelthau, s.c., will guide attendees through several websites to help you locate information on individuals.

Libraries closed on Labor Day

All three libraries will be closed on Monday, September 7th in observance of the Labor Day state holiday. You can call us at 608-267-9696 or email us while we're closed and we will respond the next day.

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Click to it: Finding a Registered Agent - Amy Crowder

A corporation's registered agent is a person or business designated to receive service of process when a lawsuit is filed against the corporation. Similarly, authorized insurers are required to designate a registered agent at a Wisconsin address for service of process. How does a plaintiff find the registered agent? Two Wisconsin public records sources can help.

The online Corporate Registration Information System (CRIS) is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. CRIS contains information extracted from charter documents filed with the agency for entities in existence on or created after January 1, 1977.

Besides the registered agent's name and office address, the CRIS website also includes the legal entity name, effective date of initial registration, entity type, charter document filing history, current status, and principal office if required by law. Annual reports, which contain the name and address of an entity's officers and director, are available to order. To find corporate records and registered agents in other states, visit the National Association of Secretaries of State website.

The Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance compiles designated registered agents for insurance companies licensed in Wisconsin. Simply search by company name to find the registered agent.

Do you want to learn more about public records sources on individuals and businesses? Register now for our CLE class on Finding Wisconsin Public Records. We'll help you find government agency sources for criminal records, state and local court records, liens, foreclosures, real estate records, and more.

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This Just In - Pete Boll

New Title! Federal Civil Practice, by Stephen M. Donweber
Wolters Kluwer, 2015
WSLL Call Number: KF 8840 .D66 2015

Authored by law professor and librarian Stephen Donweber, this handy one volume guide covers the Federal civil litigation process from the initial claim through summary judgment. Donweber provides discussion and analysis of key issues, detailed breakdowns of the requirements of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, step-by-step checklists to help with planning and litigating, and references to forms and samples. Highlights include:

• Detailed examination of pretrial federal civil practice
• High level analysis of the rules of procedure in action
• Checklists for first filings (plaintiff and defendant), motion practice, discovery, electronic discovery, and summary judgment
• Introduction to proposed 2015 amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which if approved will make substantial changes to Rules 1, 4, and 16, the discovery rules, and the Federal Appendix of Forms

New Edition! Land Surveys: A Guide for Lawyers and Other Professionals, 3rd edition, by Mitchell G. Williams
American Bar Association, 2012
WSLL Call Number: KFW 2585.A52 .I352

Although part of nearly all real estate transactions, the land survey is one of the least understood elements. Mitchell and his team of experts in commercial real estate law, title insurance, surveying, civil engineering, and lending, clearly explain all aspects of land surveys. This latest edition updates the Minimum Standard Detail Requirements for ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys and outlines the significant changes in surveying technology, particularly Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Chapter topics include: Reading, interpreting, and writing land descriptions; Uncertainties in boundary locations, and Ethical considerations for the professional surveyor.

See our latest New Titles list for a list of new books and other resources.

For assistance in accessing these or other resources, please contact our Reference Desk.

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Tech Tip - Heidi Yelk

Podcasts: Why Read When You Can Listen?

Many attorneys simply don't have time for professional reading. If your most common interaction with practice journals is to simply check your name off the routing slip and move it along, podcasts may be right for you. There are hundreds of law-related podcasts and many are great. This article will focus on podcasts from print journals, law schools, and the American Bar Association - a rich source of podcasts by and for practicing attorneys.

The ABA Section of Litigation offers "Sound Advice," a collection covering trial practice, evidence, ethics, depositions, etc. Most of these are short clips (10-15 minutes). Related programs are available on the Ligation Podcast Tips & Tactics for the Practicing Trial Lawyer page. See also the Litigation ABA channel on YouTube.

The ABA Section of Family Law produces Family Advocate podcasts which complement articles found in the quarterly publication Family Advocate.

The Solo, Small Firm and General Practice Section's KIND (Kids in Need of Defense) offers immigration podcasts. Recordings of Brown Bag sessions are also available from this group.

Finally, the ABA Journal's Asked and Answered podcast covers a variety of topics, with 20 minute interviews from experts around the nation.

A handful of law schools and law reviews are starting to offer podcasts as well. These include the Yale Law Journal Podcast Series; Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Podcast; Faculty Podcasts from the University of Chicago, and law professor David S. Levine's Hearsay Culture.

Dozens of other law-related podcasts from attorneys or for-profit organizations are also worth following. Search the Internet or iTunes to discover the right podcast for you.

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WSLL Recommends: Bankruptcy Law Reporter

Bankruptcy Law Reporter (Wolters Kluwer / CCH) is a comprehensive guide for the bankruptcy practitioner. This 3 volume set includes coverage of new developments in case law, legislative changes, and state exemptions. Volume 2 serves as a practice guide to navigate case administration and management of the bankruptcy estate. Volume 2 also includes individual chapters dedicated to different types of bankruptcy actions and sections dedicated to rules of practice and forms.

As with most "Topical Law Reports" from CCH, Bankruptcy Law Reporter uses "transfer binders" to house older content. Older contents, particularly court decisions and special legislative reports, are useful for any legislative history on bankruptcy laws and bankruptcy reform. The Wisconsin State Law Library's collection of these items dates back to 1973.

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Odds 'n' Endings - Carol Hassler

Leave your library card at home

Would you like to carry one less card in your wallet? If you have a smartphone you can save your library card barcode to your mobile phone before your next visit to the library. We'll scan the barcode off of your phone and use that to help you manage your account or check out books.

There are two ways to load your library card onto your phone.

1. Take a picture of the barcode and save it to your phone.
2. Use a smartphone app designed to store barcodes. Find barcode storage apps for your phone by searching for loyalty card apps in your app store. Here are some recent round-ups of favorite apps for storing account information.
   
   "Apps to clean up the loyalty-card clutter" by Charlie Wells. Wisconsin State Journal, Nov. 19, 2014.
   "Digitizing those customer loyalty cards" by J.D. Biersdorfer. New York Times, March 21, 2014.

Simplify your life by loading your library card number onto your phone. You'll be glad you did!

Left: Take a picture of your library card and save it on your phone.
Right: Use an app to store your library card's barcode number.

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