Clerk of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals

scales with clerk in the backgroundThe office of the Clerk of the Supreme Court is established by the Wisconsin Constitution, Article VII, Section 12. In 1978, the state Supreme Court determined that the clerk would serve both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals.

Contact information

Samuel A. Christensen, Clerk of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals
110 East Main Street, Suite 215
P.O. Box 1688
Madison, WI 53701-1688
Ph: (608) 266-1880
Fax: (608) 267-0640
Email the clerk's office

The Clerk's Office is open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except on state holidays.

Filing documents with the Clerk's Office

The Clerk's Office accepts documents for filing with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Court of Appeals pursuant to the Wisconsin Rules of Appellate Procedure. For further information about the appellate process, please see the following publications:

Appellate eFiling

Beginning July 1, 2009, attorneys are required to electronically file a copy of all appellate briefs, no-merit reports, petitions for review, and responses thereto. Electronic filing must be accomplished using the court's Web-based eFiling system. For further information regarding the eFiling requirement, please see the following:

Forms for appeals

All forms are available in the forms section of this site.

Record keeping

The Clerk's Office is the repository for all documents filed with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. All matters filed with the appellate courts are carefully monitored to ensure compliance with appropriate statutes, rules, court orders, and court procedures. After all necessary case documents have been filed, the documents are submitted to the appropriate court for consideration. When the court is ready to issue or mandate a decision, the Clerk's Office coordinates release of that decision.

The Clerk's Office has an extensive automated case management system to assist in this process. At the conclusion of each case, the office closes the case file and coordinates remittitur of the case record, as appropriate.

To check the status of a case on appeal, use the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Court of Appeals Case Access site and search by case number, trial court case number and litigant or attorney names.

Briefs in archived cases from the Wisconsin Supreme Court and Court of Appeals can be accessed using the University of Wisconsin Law School Law Library website (external link).

Pursuant to Supreme Court Rule (SCR) 50 Practical Training of Law Students , the Clerk's office is responsible to furnish a form for the certification of a student by the law school dean. The completed certifications are filed with the Clerk's office.

Attorney admissions

The Clerk's Office is responsible for scheduling and coordinating all admission ceremonies for individuals being admitted to the practice of law in Wisconsin. Since territorial days, every person admitted to the Wisconsin bar has been required to take the Attorney's Oath set forth in SCR 40.15 and subscribe to, or have his or her name subscribed to, the roll of attorneys maintained by the Clerk of the Supreme Court as required under SCR 40.02(5) . The Attorney's Oath or Affirmation must be administered by the Supreme Court, an individual justice, or by a member of the highest court of another jurisdiction as established under SCR 40.02(4) .

Attorney records

The Clerk's Office is responsible for maintaining records on the admission status of every attorney admitted to the bar in Wisconsin by date and type of admission (that is, by diploma privilege for graduates of a Wisconsin law school, by passing the Wisconsin bar examination or by providing proof of practice elsewhere).

The current eligibility of an attorney to practice law in Wisconsin is also monitored by the office. Information on any suspensions for failure to pay Supreme Court assessments or for failure to comply with requirements for continuing legal education (CLE) is also maintained.

The Clerk's Office also tracks license revocations, voluntary resignations, disbarments, miscellaneous disciplinary petitions, and all petitions for reinstatement to the bar.

Rules information

The Clerk's Office maintains files for the Supreme Court on all rules proceedings, including petitions for new Supreme Court rules or for changes in the rules of pleading and practice or civil procedure. The office also disseminates information regarding public hearings on proposed rules changes and the court's decision regarding rules matters.