State Law Library

Visit the Wisconsin State Law Library online.

Founded as the Wisconsin State Library by the 1836 Act of Congress that established the territory of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin State Law Library marked its 165th anniversary in 2001. Over the years the library's focus has changed and its services have expanded. Today, the library's mission is to serve the legal information needs of the officers and employees of the state, and of attorneys and the public. It provides the highest quality of professional expertise in the selection, maintenance and use of materials, information and technology in order to facilitate equal access to the law.

Contact information

State Law Library
Jane Colwin, State Law Librarian
120 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 2nd Floor
P.O. Box 7881
Madison, WI 53707-7881
Phone: (608) 266-1600
Direct reference assistance: (608) 267-9696 or (800) 322-9755
Fax: (608) 267-231
E-mail: wsll.ref@wicourts.gov

Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The library collection

The Wisconsin State Law Library collection consists of a comprehensive set of materials that serve the needs of current legal research. Collection strengths include:

• laws, statutes and administrative rules for all federal and state jurisdictions
• federal and state case law
• federal government documents
• Wisconsin appellate briefs
• Wisconsin Judicial Council reports and minutes
• State Bar of Wisconsin Young Lawyers Division collection of books, audio tapes and videos focusing on law practice management and automation, legal careers, and legal ethics
• law reviews, bar journals and other legal periodicals
• treatises and loose-leaf services in various areas of legal practice

Online resources

In addition to providing information in books, the Wisconsin State Law Library provides access to numerous legal and non-legal databases, CD-ROM services and the Internet. The information provided from these online sources enhances and expands the collection far beyond the physical capacity of the library.

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Library services

To fulfill its mission of equal access, Wisconsin State Law Library provides both in-house and outreach services to the bench, bar and citizens of Wisconsin.

In house services include:

• toll-free access to the reference department at (800) 322-9755
• fee-based document delivery service (generally providing same day delivery)
• circulation of materials to attorneys throughout the state
• classes in using electronic resources for a variety of legal applications

Outreach services include:

• training and educational seminars in legal research and online legal databases for judges, attorneys, law office staff and non-law librarians
• orientations for judges, lawyers, legislative and executive agencies, law clerks and paralegals
• tours of the library, the Milwaukee Legal Resource Center and the Dane County Legal Resource Center for legal secretaries, paralegals and public school groups
• assistance to county law libraries, including a seminar on managing county law libraries
• development of statewide contracts for online legal databases
• assistance with the development of pro se legal forms (legal forms to assist people who handle their own legal work)

County law libraries

For many years, the Wisconsin State Law Library has provided consultation and assistance to county law libraries throughout the state. With help from the Wisconsin State Law Library, a number of county law libraries are reducing the size of their courthouse collections and entering into partnerships to provide law-related information and materials through online services at public libraries.

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Milwaukee Legal Resource Center

The Milwaukee Legal Resource Center (MLRC) is a branch of the Wisconsin State Law Library located in the Milwaukee County Courthouse and funded by Milwaukee County. Founded in May 1996, the MLRC is an efficient law library with direct access to all the resources of the Wisconsin State Law Library in Madison. In addition to a core print collection of federal, state, and local materials, several online legal research tools and the Internet are available to assist the Center's professional reference staff in responding to inquiries. Several public computers gives patrons access to the State Law Library's online catalog and to online resources such as Loislaw. MLRC staff is also responsible for the maintenance of chamber collections for the 47 Milwaukee County circuit court judges. The MLRC may be reached by phone at (414) 278-4900, by fax at (414) 223-1818 and by mail at Courthouse, Room 307A, 901 N. 9th, Milwaukee, WI 53233. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Since January 1, 1998, simplified pro se forms have been available for sale from the MLRC. The family court division of the Milwaukee County circuit courts developed the forms with assistance from the MLRC staff.

Dane County Legal Resource Center

In January 1999, the Dane County Legal Resource Center (DCLRC) became a branch of the Wisconsin State Law Library through a contractual agreement with Dane County. DCLRC offers a core print collection of federal, state, and local materials to circuit court judges and their staff, government and private attorneys, and the general public. DCLRC staff also make extensive use of CD-ROM and Internet legal resources to provide reference and research assistance. Two public access computers give patrons access to the State Law Library's online catalog and Loislaw.com. The DCLRC may be reached by phone at (608) 266-6316, by fax at (608) 266-5988, by mail at the Dane County Courthouse, 215 S. Hamilton St., Room L1007, Madison, WI, 53703 and by e-mail at dclrc.ref@wicourts.gov. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

DCLRC staff assists pro se litigants in finding basic legal information. The Resource Center also sells and distributes county-specific Dane County Circuit Court forms and information. Additional services include maintaining the collections of the 17 Dane County circuit court judges and filling written requests for legal information from inmates of the Dane County Jail.

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