Wisconsin Court System

Administrative Structure of the Courts

The Wisconsin court system, like court systems around the administrative tasks for the court system. By early 1979,
country, has evolved from a predominately decentralized the Supreme Court had promulgated Supreme Court Rule
structure with overlapping authority to a more unified (SCR) Chapter 70, Rules of Judicial Administration – a
system. The progression is due in large part to an effort to systematic, uniform approach to court administration.
improve court administration.
Director of State Courts Office
In 1951, the Legislature directed the Judicial Council to The role and work of the Director of State Courts Office is
examine the courts and to recommend appropriate to carry out administrative responsibilities in cooperation
changes. Those efforts resulted in Chapter 315, which with Wisconsin’s judiciary.
became effective in 1962. In addition to simplifying the
structure of the courts and creating some statewide The office is managed by the director of state courts. As
uniformity, this statute laid out an administrative the chief non-judicial officer of the state court system,
framework for improving caseload allocation and under the direction of the chief justice, the director of state
providing other management support such as the Office of courts has authority and responsibility for the overall
Court Administration, created in 1961. management of the unified judicial system. The specific
functions of the director are set out in SCR 70.01.
The office’s initial emphasis was to assist the chief justice
in the assignment of reserve and other judges to temporary Internally, the director’s office is organized into the
service. The administrator also was directed to collect following areas of responsibility:
statistics and perform internal administrative tasks, such as
processing expense vouchers and researching various q The Office of Court Operations provides technical
insurance and retirement issues. assistance to the circuit courts, often in conjunction
with the district court administrators in areas such as
The process of judicial reform continued, and in the early records management, caseload management,
1970s, the governor established the Citizens Study personnel (including assignment of reserve judges),
Committee on Judicial Organization. The committee’s and policy analysis. Court Operations also provides
published report recommended that: staff services for committees and special projects,
including the Wisconsin Court Records Management
q the Supreme Court have administrative authority over Committee, and researches court management and
and responsibility for all courts related issues for the Director of State Courts Office.
q the chief justice be the head of the judicial branch q The Consolidated Court Automation Programs
q a state court administrator be granted broad authority (CCAP) provides computer automation to the
to assist the chief justice in administrative matters Wisconsin court system, which includes the Supreme
q the trial courts be organized into administrative Court, the Court of Appeals, the circuit courts, and the
districts headed by chief judges with district court Director of State Courts Office and its affiliated
administrators to assist with administrative tasks. offices. Automation allows the courts to track the
With the 1977-78 court reorganization, the administrative progress of cases through the system and manage
responsibilities and authority of the chief justice and chief huge volumes of information with relative ease.
judges were formally established, and the concept of non- Public case docket information is available at
judicial administrative positions was formally http://wcca.wicourts.gov and
institutionalized. Non-judicial managers such as the http://wscca.wicourts.gov.
director of state courts and the district court administrators q The Office of Management Services provides
were authorized to perform a broad spectrum of administrative support and general business services

16 East Capitol Building, P.O. Box 1688, Madison, WI 53701-1688 u (608) 266-1298 u fax (608) 261-8299 u www.wicourts.gov
 consistent with state and federal law, Supreme Court (retired) judges; three municipal court judges, two circuit
rules, court policy and sound public management court commissioners, and three judicial representatives of
practice in areas such as budget, finance, human the tribal courts are members of the Wisconsin Judicial
resources, payroll and leave accounting, procurement, Conference, which meets annually. The conference was
grants administration, risk management, space established to consider the business of the administration
allocation and facility management. of justice and the problems pertaining to it, recommend
q The Office of Judicial Education conducts improvements, assist its members in performing judicial
continuing education programs for the judiciary and duties and provide for committees to study particular
training programs for new judges and court personnel, subjects relating to the administration of justice.
prepares judges’ benchbooks and educational
materials, coordinates and assists other judicial and Judicial Conference Planning Committee: Appointed
court personnel organizations in arranging educational annually by the chief justice, this committee works with
programs. the Judicial Conference Executive Committee to set the
q The Medical Mediation Panels Office provides an agenda and organize the annual meeting of the judicial
objective assessment of the strengths and weaknesses conference.
of a medical-malpractice claim. By law, all medical-
malpractice claims must go through this process Judicial Conference Committees (SCR 70.15(4)): The
before they can proceed to court. Each panel consists Judicial Conference may divide into sections and create
of a lawyer, a health-care provider, and a layperson. subcommittees to study specific topics. Conference
The early neutral evaluation they provide can reduce committees include:
litigation costs by identifying claims without merit as
early as possible and by expediting the resolution of q Executive Committee has general charge over the
those claims that do have merit. affairs, policies and activities of the Judicial
Conference and is comprised of the chief justice
Trial Court Level (chair), the next senior justice (first vice-chair), a
Effective court administration requires close cooperation second vice-chair, a secretary, and five other
between the director of state courts and the chief judges of members (elected by the conference) including:
the nine judicial administrative districts. The chief judge is one appellate judge, one reserve judge, and three
responsible for the administration of the circuit courts circuit court judges.
within the district. SCR 70.19 enumerates many duties of q Civil Jury Instructions Committee prepares
the chief judge to be carried out in cooperation with the model civil jury instructions for circuit judges.
director of state courts. The list includes judicial q Criminal Jury Instructions Committee prepares
assignment; caseflow management; establishment of model criminal jury instructions for circuit judges.
policies, plans, and rules; supervision of finances; q Juvenile Jury Instructions Committee: prepares
appointment of committees; and more. The chief judges model juvenile jury instructions for circuit judges.
and district court administrators meet regularly with the q Legislative Committee: reviews pending
director of state courts to discuss current issues and to legislation and may provide information to the the
advise the Supreme Court and the director on matters Legislature on proposed bills. To obtain a broad
relating to administration. spectrum of viewpoints, the committee solicits
judges to review bills within their areas of
With the exception of the First Judicial Administrative expertise and interest.
District (Milwaukee), the chief judges are not exclusively q Nominating Committee advises the members of
administrators and carry caseloads. Thus, the full-time the conference of open positions on the
position of district court administrator has evolved as a committees for which they may seek election.
critical resource for the effective administration of the Nominations are then solicited. From these
court system. Together the director, the chief judges, and nominations, the Nominating Committee chooses
administrative staff participate in developing and one candidate for each open position and notifies
implementing statewide policies and procedures. They the members of the conference of its slate prior to
manage an increasingly complex system requiring the the annual meeting of the conference. Members of
uniform application of justice while accommodating and the conference may also make nominations. The
respecting appropriate local variance. members of the conference vote to fill the open
positions.
Statewide programs and committees q Uniform Bond Committee prepares various
Judicial Conference: All justices of the Supreme Court, uniform deposit and bail schedules for
judges of the circuit courts and Court of Appeals, reserve misdemeanors and traffic offenses, violations of
 Department of Natural Resources rules, trespass to law schools and the Wisconsin Judicial College, and eight
land, certain alcohol violations, tobacco violations, circuit court judges appointed by the Wisconsin Supreme
harassment, violations of University of Wisconsin Court.
rules, drug paraphernalia offenses and safety
violations. Judicial College Planning Committee: Appointed by the
chief justice, the Judicial College Planning Committee of
Judicial Commission: The Supreme Court appoints the Judicial Education Committee is composed of seven
judges and lawyers to the Judicial Commission, and the circuit court judges (the dean and associate dean of the
governor appoints the non-lawyer members with the Wisconsin Judicial College). The committee develops the
consent of the state Senate. The commission was created courses for the annual Judicial College, which provides
by statute to investigate any possible misconduct or education for both new and veteran judges.
permanent disability of a judge or court commissioner.
Committee to Improve Interpreting in Wisconsin
Benchbook Committees: Appointed by the Office of Courts: Appointed by the director of state courts, this
Judicial Education, the Benchbook Committees assist in committee is charged with making recommendations to
revising and updating each of the five Wisconsin Judicial improve the quality and availability of court interpreters in
Benchbooks on an annual basis. The benchbooks are Wisconsin’s state and municipal courts.
desktop procedural reference texts for trial judges.
Planning and Policy Advisory Committee (PPAC) (SCR
Committee of Chief Judges (SCR 70.18): The Supreme 70.14): Advises the Supreme Court and the director of
Court appoints a chief judge for each of the nine judicial state courts on planning initiatives, the administrative
administrative districts to oversee administrative matters in structure of the court system and the expeditious handling
the district. Each chief judge may serve up to three of judicial matters. The committee functions as the court
consecutive two-year terms. As needed, the chief judges system’s long-range planning committee. PPAC consists of
convene subcommittees to consider issues and problems the chief justice of the Supreme Court, one judge of the
facing the trial courts. Court of Appeals (selected by the Court of Appeals), 13
circuit court judges (elected in the judicial administrative
Consolidated Court Automation Programs (CCAP) districts), one municipal judge (elected by the Wisconsin
Steering Committee: Appointed by the director of state Municipal Judges’ Association), two persons selected by
courts, this committee sets policy and priorities for CCAP. the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Wisconsin. The
following persons are appointed by the chief justice: three
Supreme Court Finance Committee (SCR 70.125): This non-lawyers (one of whom shall be an elected county
standing committee of the Supreme Court is comprised of official), one public defender, one court administrator, one
the chief justice, two additional justices, the chief judge of prosecutor, and one clerk of circuit court.
the Court of Appeals, and the chair of the committee of
chief judges or his or her designee. The director of state State-Tribal Justice Forum
courts, the chief budget and policy officer and the deputy In July of 2005, the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of
director for management services staff the committee. Justice Assistance sponsored a national gathering to foster
tribal-federal-state court relations. This conference, titled
Judicial Conduct Advisory Committee: Appointed by Walking on Common Ground: Pathways to Equal Justice,
the Supreme Court, this committee was created to render served as the catalyst for Wisconsin to reconvene its State-
formal advisory opinions and give informal advice to Tribal Justice Forum. The newly re-established committee
judges and judicial officers governed by the Code of met for the first time in the spring of 2006 and consists of
Judicial Conduct. Advice may concern the compliance of five circuit court judges, five tribal judges, one tribal
their contemplated or proposed conduct regarding the attorney, one legislative liaison, one district court
Code. administrator, and the director of state courts.

Judicial Education Committee (SCR 32.01): Oversees Appointment Selection Committee: Appointed by the
continuing education programs for judges. It also Supreme Court, this committee assists the Court in finding
determines whether to grant education credit for other dedicated people of the highest integrity and commitment
educational activities undertaken by individual judges. The to serve on the various committees to which the Court
committee consists of the chief justice or his/her designee, makes appointments. The committee forwards names for
the chief judge of the Court of Appeals or his/her designee, the Court’s consideration, and the Court makes
the director of state courts, the deans of both Wisconsin appointments as vacancies arise.
 licensed to practice law in Wisconsin and
Wisconsin Court Records Management Committee: investigates license reinstatement petitions.
Appointed by the director of state courts, this committee q Board of Administrative Oversight is a 12-
recommends guidelines for the retention of court records person board, composed of eight lawyers and four
and necessary statutory or rule changes relating to records non-lawyers that monitors the fairness,
management. It creates new forms, reviews new and effectiveness and efficiency of the attorney
existing forms for legal sufficiency and establishes regulation system and proposes substantive and
standards and guidelines for effective management of court procedural rules related to the system for the
records. Court’s consideration.
q Preliminary Review Committee is a 14-person
Lawyer Regulatory System: committee made up of nine lawyers and five
q Board of Bar Examiners (BBE) (SCR 30.01) public members. The committee reviews
administers Wisconsin’s mandatory continuing investigations involving complaints against
legal education requirements and bar admissions attorneys to determine whether there is cause for
by examination and on reciprocity. The BBE the director of the Office of Lawyer Regulation to
conducts character and fitness investigations for file a complaint with the Supreme Court.
all candidates for bar admission by diploma
privilege (graduates of Wisconsin law schools).
q Office of Lawyer Regulation (SCR 21.02)
investigates allegations of professional misconduct
and medical incapacity regarding attorneys

11/2022