Wisconsin State Law Library

What's New - Kristina Martinez

Staff News @ DCLL

We are pleased to announce that Emma Fechner is the new Library Associate at Dane County Law Library. Emma has her MLIS from the University of Kentucky and is currently enrolled in the Paralegal Program at Madison College. Emma has worked in a medical library in graduate school and hopes to work as a reference librarian in a specialty library. She loves being able to say her researching and gathering of information makes a difference to someone. DCLL is excited to have Emma join the team.

Upcoming Classes

Start your year off right with two great opportunities in February to earn CLE credit. See our classes page for more information.

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Wisconsin State Law Library Year in Review - Julie Tessmer, State Law Librarian

In 2015, the State Law Library embarked on a campaign to update our image in order to be more recognizable to all of our users. The first step in this process was to the rename our branches located in the Dane and Milwaukee Courthouses from Legal Resource Centers to Law Libraries. We felt that "library" was a meaningful and clear-cut description for what we do. The name change has helped our users better understand all of our services, our staff's expertise, and our many special collections. Our second step was developing and designing a trio of promotional materials that included a new brochure, an updated library card, and a Welcome Letter for new users introducing them to the many facets of the libraries.

Our brochure highlights the myriad of services we provide and some unique features of our beautiful library such as the Rare Book Room that can be used for meetings, presentations, or quiet study. Third, our librarians provided tours, CLE credit training classes in-house and via webinars, and got out in the community to speak about our resources with presentations at the Wisconsin Register in Probate Association's meeting and the Milwaukee Public Library to name a few. To cap off the year, Kristina Martinez joined the staff as the Outreach Services Librarian. Kristina will continue to promote the library throughout the state in 2016.

Our online collection continued to grow with new additions to HeinOnline including the ABA Law Journal Collection, National Survey of State Laws, and the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws making it easier to access these materials. In addition to adding content, we also concentrated on preservation having made a decision to maintain a print collection of the pages removed from the Wisconsin Administrative Code which is now in electronic format.

I invite you to take a new look at our libraries in 2016 by visiting one of our three locations, accessing our website, subscribing to our Newsletter and Library Highlights, or signing up for a class or tour. We look forward to assisting you in-person, by phone, or email. Our staff is ready and eager to help you find the legal materials and resources you need!

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Milwaukee County Law Library in Review - Lynne Gehrke

The Milwaukee Legal Resource Center changed its name in April to more accurately reflect its mission to provide legal information. We are now the Milwaukee County Law Library (MCLL). The name change also helps to distinguish the library from the Milwaukee Justice Center which provides legal advice to thousands of Milwaukee County residents.

The MCLL continues to collaborate with the Central Milwaukee Public Library, offering free monthly research classes and hosting as many as 39 people at a single class. The Public Library provides the classroom space, distributes notices about upcoming classes, and facilitates registration. In addition to the Westlaw classes provided by the Thomson Reuters' representative, several librarians from law firms and Marquette Law School have graciously provided their expertise as instructors for a variety of classes. All of the classes are free and qualify for CLE credit.

In addition to operating the Law Library on the ground floor, the MCLL staff maintains the chamber collections of the 47 Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judges. Judicial rotation has been an on-going affair this year; we have moved 39 judges' collections. It is our responsibility to ensure the judges always have the correct materials at hand and we work diligently to fulfill their needs.

There were minimal changes for staffing this year at MCLL. Lori Green and Diana Sirovina replaced Carrie Czarapata and Lucy Kelly in May, 2015. Customer service remains the top priority at the MCLL. Our entire staff works together to serve every library user professionally, efficiently, and cheerfully.

The MCLL is looking forward to 2016 and we encourage you to submit suggestions for ways in which we can improve.

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Dane County Law Library in Review

Dane County Law Library's Year in Review article will appear in our March Newsletter.

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This Just In - Pete Boll

Updated! Myers on Evidence of Interpersonal Violence: Child Maltreatment, Intimate Partner Violence, Rape, Stalking, and Elder Abuse, 6th edition, by John E. B. Myers
Wolters Kluwer / CCH, 2016
Call Number: KF 8935 .M94 2016

In this updated successor edition to Myers on Evidence in Child, Domestic and Elder Abuse Cases, 5th edition, Professor Myers integrates the psychological, medical and legal issues that arise in the investigation and litigation of interpersonal violence cases. Highlights of the new edition include:

• New chapter on Cross Examination, Impeachment and Rehabilitation of Witnesses
• The latest in scientific research on the testimony of children and young adults, state intervention in neglect cases prior to birth, and new theories of supporting or challenging hearsay testimony.

New Title! Fifty State Construction Lien and Bond Law, 3rd edition, by Laurence Schor
Wolters Kluwer / CCH, 2016
Call Number: KF 900 .F532

Recently added to our construction law collection, this 3rd edition is written by leading construction lien and bond law experts from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and American Samoa. It provides authoritative coverage of mechanics' liens, payment bonds, performance bonds, and bid bonds, including comprehensive coverage of the statutes and analysis of the key cases in each state.

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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Odds 'n' Endings

For a second year in a row, we collected over fifty items this year for our Helping Warm Hearts and Hands hat and mitten drive. The donations were delivered to the Community Action Coalition in January. Thank you to everyone that visited the library and donated hats, mittens, and other warm items this year.

Piles of donated hats, mittens, gloves, scarves, and socks.

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