Wisconsin State Law Library

What's New - Carol Hassler

Librarians Speak Out

Carol Hassler, Web Services Librarian, spoke at this year's Register in Probate conference in Madison. She provided an overview of services which the library provides to members of the public as well as court staff. The presentation included a tour of the library website and online services, such as legal research databases. Contact Heidi Yelk for more information about scheduling librarians to speak at your upcoming events.

Upcoming Classes

In September Milwaukee's series of legal research classes welcomed its largest audience yet with Bev Butula's People Search. This month don't miss two WestlawNext sessions on advanced legal research and legal ethics, offered on October 14. Next month Milwaukee offers a class on using Google Scholar and Google Books for legal research. See our Classes page for more information.

Bev Butula presents People Search at the Milwaukee Public Library.

Staff News

Recently the library said goodbye to Lisa Winkler, Outreach Services Librarian. Lisa started at the Dane County Law Library 10 years ago as a library associate and served as reference librarian at Dane County before accepting the Outreach Services position in 2014. We wish Lisa the best in her new endeavors.

Two new library assistants joined the library at the beginning of September, Christina Nowak and Megan Gundelfinger. Christina is our new appellate briefs assistant and will also be at the circulation desk. Christina is a senior at UW Madison pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Geography. Megan is our new circulation and filing assistant. Megan is a senior at UW Madison pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in History. We are very happy to welcome Christina and Megan to our staff!

Left: Megan Gundelfinger. Right: Christina Nowak.

Up to Top

State Law Library Adds Online Access to ABA Journals - Pete Boll

We're pleased to announce the addition of American Bar Association (ABA) journals and periodicals to our HeinOnline journals database.
The ABA publishes these specialty periodicals through its Sections, Divisions and Forums. Now the full text of each issue is available online, in many cases all the way back to volume one.

In the past the library subscribed to 54 ABA periodicals in print. Now the library has online access to these 54 titles, plus 44 new titles that were previously only available to ABA members. Library users can access all 98 journals at our public computers or by logging in with their library card. Anyone can set up a MyHein account to get alerts when new articles from your favorite authors or journals appear online.

Here are some highlights from the collection:

• ABA Journal
• Administrative Law Review
• Business Lawyer
• Civil Rights Litigation
• Commercial and Business Litigation
• Criminal Litigation
• Ethics and Professionalism
• Expert Witness
• Family Law Quarterly
• GP Solo
• Intellectual Property Litigation
• Judicial Division Record
• Labor and Employment Law
• Litigation
• Pretrial Practice and Discovery
• Products Liability
• Real Property Trust and Estate Law Journal
• SciTech Lawyer
• Tax Lawyer
• TYL (The Young Lawyer)

Up to Top

This Just In - Pete Boll

New Title! Debt Collector's Handbook, by David J. Cook
American Bar Association, 2015
WSLL Call Number: KF 1024 .C655 2014

Author David J. Cook is a veteran collections attorney who has chased down debtors for over 39 years. He is well known for representing Ronald Goldman's father in collecting the multi-million dollar civil judgment against O.J. Simpson.

Cook outlines the basics of civil remedies, real estate, finance, and sleuthing to uncover hidden assets in order to collect on a debt or judgment.

Information provided includes:

• What questions to ask
• Where to look for hidden funds and assets
• How to read financial statements
• What to expect from a judge

New Edition! Guardianship and Protective Placement for the Elderly in Wisconsin, 4th edition, by Maren Beermann and Gretchen G. Viney
State Bar of Wisconsin, 2012
WSLL Call Number: KFW 2506 .B44 2015

As Wisconsin's elderly population expands, more and more adults may become in need of protection. This handy one volume guide focuses on guardianship and protective service procedures outlined in Wisconsin Statutes chapters 54 and 55.

This newest 4th edition also updates relevant case law developments in the areas of:

• Time limits for hearings in guardianship proceedings:
  Tina B. v. Richard H. (In re Guardianship of Elizabeth M.H.), 2014 WI App 123, 359 Wis. 2d 204, 857 N.W. 2d 432 (review denied)
• End of life treatment for incompetent individuals who are not in a persistent vegetative state.
  Disability Rights Wis. v. University of Wis. Hosp. & Clinics, 2014AP135, 2014 WL 6977869 (Wis. Ct. App. Dec. 11, 2014) (unpublished opinion citable for persuasive value per section 809.23(3)).

References and links to mandatory court forms are included as well as examples of several non-mandatory forms.

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.

Up to Top

Tech Tip - Heidi Yelk

Changes coming to Westlaw @ WSLL

The Wisconsin State Law Library has provided Westlaw to library users for several years. During the last few years, the library has offered two interfaces for Westlaw: Westlaw.com (a.k.a. Westlaw Classic) and WestlawNext (a.k.a. the new Westlaw). Starting in October, the library will transition to WestlawNext as the sole Westlaw interface.

Have no fear, Classic users, WestlawNext is easy to learn and there is a lot to like. WestlawNext features a "global" search box. Rather than choosing a database (such as "Wisconsin Statutes") users can search all Wisconsin resources at once. A single search returns results found in cases, statutes, administrative code, secondary sources, and so on. Westlaw "tools" such as KeyCite and related documents are integrated as tabs above the main document. Accessing a KeyCite list or documents filed in a case requires just one click. WestlawNext also allows users to email documents -- a feature not available in the Classic interface.

There are a lot of ways to learn about WestlawNext. Start with Thomson Reuters' quick guide to comparing Westlaw Classic and WestlawNext. Their blog also has a helpful 5 quick tips for Westlaw.com users.

Finally, the library has monthly workshops on using WestlawNext. See our classes page to sign up. As always, reference librarians are available to answer questions and help with introductions to WestlawNext.

Up to Top

WSLL Recommends: Criminal Practice and Procedure

Criminal Practice and Procedure, by Christine M. Wiseman and Michael Tobin, provides attorneys and lay users with current, in depth information and commentary regarding Wisconsin criminal practice in an easy to read and accessible format. This single volume guides the reader through the myriad steps of criminal procedure, and thoroughly engages the practice of criminal law - from the commencement of prosecution (including arrest), motion practice (pretrial and discovery), and defense (including competency hearings and the insanity defense).

This book includes detailed analysis and commentary on a wide range of subjects including search and seizure, preliminary hearings, confessions, speedy trial, and more. Yearly supplemental materials are added to the back of the volume to address new issues, and update existing issues, as they develop. This book is shelved in our libraries as volume 9 of the Wisconsin Practice Series.

Pair this with the Criminal Defense Manual from the Wisconsin State Bar for a head start on your next case.

Up to Top