Third Branch eNews

The Wisconsin Court System has released the 2025 Wisconsin Judicial Needs Assessment Study, providing an updated look at judicial workload and resource needs in circuit courts statewide.

The study, conducted by the National Center for State Courts, uses a weighted caseload model to estimate judicial workload based on the time required to process different types of cases. Wisconsin has relied on the weighted caseload method for more than four decades to help assess judicial workload and guide resource planning.

A companion guide was released with the study to help judges, court officials, legislators, counties, and other stakeholders understand how to read and interpret the report.

The study measures workload. It does not evaluate the performance of judges, courts, or counties, directly measure current case backlog, or automatically determine where circuit court branches should be added. Instead, it is a planning tool that will be considered alongside other factors, including county resources, available space, staffing needs, court commissioner use, district-level workload, and broader pressures across the justice system.

The report also reinforces the difference between caseload and workload. Some case types involve large numbers of filings but require relatively little judicial time, while other case types involve fewer filings but require significantly more judicial attention. The weighted caseload model accounts for those differences when estimating judicial resource needs.

Following the public release, the study will be reviewed by the Committee of Chief Judges. That review will help inform any future judicial branch budget request. Any recommendation for a new circuit court branch will require coordination with county partners, including confirmation of adequate courtroom space, necessary staffing support, and county board support.

The study and companion guide are available here.