Aug. 7, 2019 – Every judge has a first day on the bench, the first time presiding over a specific type of proceeding, and the first time encountering a particular area of law. And many attorneys have their first day in court.
Recognizing the need for a practical courtroom reference those who practice in the state’s courtrooms, the Wisconsin Office of Judicial Education – through the efforts of dedicated judicial committees – produced the Wisconsin Judicial Benchbooks.
Initially produced for circuit court judges, the benchbooks became available in 1983 to the legal community at large, when the Office of Judicial Education began an ongoing collaboration with the State Bar of Wisconsin to maintain and update the series.
Today, the series contains five volumes:
Necessary Information at a Glance
The benchbooks provide quick and efficient access to information relevant to key procedures and issues that arise in a case.
The print books are in a condensed, easy-to-follow format – with citations in one column and the outlined discussion in a second column – while the online, Books UnBound® volumes present the citations directly above the pertinent outline sections.
For example, if you’re working on a criminal case and you’re wondering whether and when the defendant might move to withdraw a plea, you’ll find your options discussed in the Criminal Benchbook’s chapter on plea withdrawals, along with citations to relevant case law, with hyperlinks in the digital Books UnBound to the underlying primary sources in the Fastcase database.
Newly Revised Editions in 2019
Members of five benchbook committees – experienced judges and circuit court commissioners from various Wisconsin counties (assisted on certain specialized topics by nonjudicial attorney contributors with pertinent expertise) – draft annual updates for each of the benchbooks in the series.
The most recent revisions incorporate legal developments on topics such as:
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a modified standard announced by the Wisconsin Supreme Court for prosecutorial disclosure of evidence favorable to the defendant (in the Criminal & Traffic Benchbook, revised in spring 2019); and
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the Wisconsin Legislature’s passage of a “Foster Forward” legislative package designed to prevent removal of children from their homes and to improve the child welfare system (in Juvenile Benchbook, revised in spring 2019).
Supplements to the Probate, Family, and Civil volumes will be available later in 2019.
How to Order
The Wisconsin Judicial Benchbook series is available in print to members for $149 for individual volumes and $499 for the complete set. Nonmembers may purchase individual volumes for $189 and the complete set for $599. Annual subscriptions to Books UnBound®, the State Bar’s interactive online library, start at $159 per title and $349 for the online set.
For more information or to place an order, visit the WisBar Marketplace or call the State Bar at (800) 728-7788 or (608) 257-3838.
