How do I file an appeal?
To appeal an order in a civil case, you will need to file a Notice of Appeal, a Docketing Statement, and a Statement on Transcript. The Court of Appeals has prepared a
Guide to Appellate Procedure for the Self-Represented explaining what these forms are and how to file them.
Are there forms for filing an appeal or motion in the court of appeals?
Yes. The forms are available on the
Wisconsin Court of Appeals website.
How can I check on the status of or developments in my appeal?
The docket reports for all pending appeals are available online
here. To find your case, simply enter the information you know and click "Search." Once your case is open, click "Case History" to view the full history of your case.
What does an Appellant's Initial Brief looks like?
Before trying to write an appellate brief, here are some examples of what a finished one looks like. We also offer an online
Brief Assistant if you need help preparing a properly formatted brief.
How do I write an Appellate Brief?
The Appellate Help Desk offers an App called the
Brief Assistant that will direct you to legal resources and walk you through the process of creating an Initial Brief, a Response Brief, or a Reply Brief for an appeal. The Brief Assistant will prompt you to answer questions on a form and then generate a draft of your brief in the format required by the Court of Appeals. You may save the draft brief and edit it until you are ready to file it.
Try the Brief Assistant!
Where do I find the law to cite in my Appellate Brief?
To find a broad range of legal resources and to "ask a librarian" visit the
Wisconsin State Law Library's website.
To find statues, constitutions, and administrative rules, visit the
Wisconsin State Legislature's website.
To find case law, visit
Google Scholar, select "case law" and the appropriate court(s).
To get brief answers from a lawyer about the law that applies to the issues in your civil appeal, visit
Wisconsin Free Legal Answers.
