March 26, 2025 – You have a case before the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. Properly submitting your brief (see the appendix for the full text of the Wisconsin Rules of Appellate Procedure) is important in improving your chances of success.
Appellate Practice and Procedure in Wisconsin from State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE® can help.
Now in its 10th edition in 2025,
Appellate Practice and Procedure is the standard reference on appellate practice in Wisconsin, whether your case is before the Wisconsin Court of Appeals or the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Chapter 3, for instance, explains that the nature of appellate review and potential for success on appeal depend heavily on the standards of review applied by the appellate court. A discussion of the standards of review for findings of fact, questions of law, and discretionary acts is also included.
Appellate Practice and Procedure in Wisconsin’s 28 chapters provide basic information on appellate procedures, as well as sophisticated commentary on expedited appeals, briefing, oral argument, one-judge appeals, and other important topics.
You'll also find additional resources in the appendices, including
a “Standards of Appellate Review” outline, prepared by the Hon. Thomas Hruz of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, District III; and
numerous appellate court forms, prepared by the Clerk of the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Court of Appeals.
New Section: On the Procedures for Recusal of Appellate Court Judges.
The 2024-25 revision of
Appellate Practice and Procedure in Wisconsin incorporates legal developments reported in previous supplements, and also a new section discussing the procedures for recusal of appellate court judges.
Updates include:
finality principles in the context of appellate jurisdiction – from a Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision published in 2023;
a 2024 opinion in which the Wisconsin Supreme Court reviewed an order denying a substitution-of-judge request;
jurisdictional issues regarding the timeliness of an appeal from an order deciding a motion for reconsideration as well as whether the appellate court is the proper court to find a party in contempt for violating a circuit court order, from a 2024 Court of Appeals opinion; and
whether the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association is a state actor whose determinations can be subject to judicial review by common-law certiorari, from a 2024 Court of Appeals decision.
Also as part of this new edition, the appendices to the book have been revised. Judge Hruz and Wisconsin Court of Appeals District Staff Attorney Nathan Petrashek, District II, have added new appellate court citations in the “Standards of Appellate Review” outline (appendix C).
Appellate Practice and Procedure in Wisconsin is available in print and via
Books UnBound®, PINNACLE’s digital library. Visit
WisBar’s Marketplace for more information.
More on Appellate Practice
Whether you’re appealing a case to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals or seeking review in the Wisconsin Supreme Court, you’ll find the citations you need with
the Wisconsin Rules of Appellate Procedure.
This codebook provides the core statutory chapters governing appeals (chapters 808 and 809 and SCR chapter 80, and the relevant case annotations of the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. You’ll also find the Wisconsin Judicial Council Committee’s notes that pertain to the reprinted statutes.
The
2025 edition is current through the 2023–24 Wisconsin Statutes. It adds a new rule of appellate procedure, created by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which establishes an expedited procedure for appeals from competency orders entered pursuant to Wis. Stat. section 971.14 in criminal cases. New case annotations have also been added.
This print book is available via Wisbar's Marketplace.
1.0 CLE program available via webcast on specific dates, March and April 2025; and as
an OnDemand seminar.
Have you ever wanted to get inside the mind of a judge? In
Insights from the Bench: Judges Geenen and Colón on Appellate Advocacy, as they reflect on their first year on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals District I,
Judge Sara J. Geenen and
Judge Pedro A. Colón will provide a candid look into their early experiences on the bench in a lively panel discussion moderated by
Christa D. Wittenberg.
They'll discuss the challenges and rewards of tackling complex legal questions and provide a behind-the-scenes look at how appellate cases are evaluated. You’ll discover practical strategies to make your advocacy stand out, with guidance on:
Wisconsin appellate procedure rules;
formatting and stylistic expectations for federal appellate submissions;
well-structured introductions and issue statements; and
what judges prioritize when reviewing the cases before them.
This CLE program is your opportunity to deepen your understanding of the appellate process.
Find out more on Wisbar's Marketplace.
