I. Public Records Law

1. Overview of Wisconsin’s Public Records Law
2. Making and Responding to a Public Records Request
3. Privileges
4. Access to Personnel Records in the Custody of a Public Official
5. Law Enforcement Records
6. Pupil and Juvenile Records in the Possession of a School District
7. Contractors’ Records
8. Fees a Records Custodian May Charge
9. Enforcement
10. Issues Involving Electronic Public Records
11. Freedom of Information Act

II. Open Meetings Law

1. Coverage of the Open Meetings Law
2. Definition of "Meeting"
3. Accessibility and Openness
4. Notice
5. Voting and Record Keeping
6. Closed Meetings
7. Enforcement and Penalties

Appendices

1. Selected Public Records and Open Meetings Rules and Statutes
2. Sample Notices Concerning Record Requests
3. Key Cases
4. Statutory Exceptions
5. City of Baraboo Joint Review Board Meeting: Public Notice
6. Verified Open Meetings Law Complaint
7. Article: Rediscovering the Lost Art of Verbal Conversation and Decreasing Your Legal Liability

The 2021-2022 revision includes a number of changes, such as the following:

• The Wisconsin Supreme Court will be issuing a decision in a case in which the court of appeals analyzed whether a draft of a contract that a city was negotiating with a private entity was subject to disclosure under Wisconsin’s public records law
• The Wisconsin Court of Appeals noted the instances when a record subject has a statutory right to receive notice and seek pre-release judicial review of a response to a public records request
• The Wisconsin Court of Appeals decided whether internal-affairs files of a sheriff’s deputy could be released in response to a public records request
• The Wisconsin Legislature adopted Wis. Stat. § 165.87, which governs the use of law enforcement body cameras

All citations and appendices A–F have been updated.

State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE® is the premier publisher of practice guides and handbooks for Wisconsin's attorneys, written by Wisconsin's attorneys. PINNACLE relies on the expertise and contributions of volunteers from within the State Bar of Wisconsin membership to help develop and deliver timely, relevant information to assist Wisconsin's attorneys provide the highest-quality representation and service.

About the Author

For an in depth view of the content in this book, please click to view Table of Contents.

View Index

See Where Your Research Takes You

Books UnBound® is the exclusive online digital resource from State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE® books that Wisconsin attorneys have trusted and relied on for decades, including all the “brown binders” and other treatises, the Wisconsin Attorney’s Desk Reference, Wisconsin Judicial Benchbooks, and now all of our most recent books previously released in print only. Featuring a fast, user-friendly interface protected by two-factor authentication, a powerful search function, an expanded notes feature, and one-click access to Fastcase and other primary law resources, Books UnBound is a one-stop shop for all your legal research needs.

Immediate benefits include:

• The knowledge and experience of seasoned practitioners to help you hone your competitive edge and break into new areas
• User-friendly interface with tools to ensure easy navigation: Google search; dashboard; linked tables of contents; resume-research option that allows you to pick up where you left off
• Free access for your support staff (for individual subscriptions only)
• The convenience of linking directly to case law, decisions, and statutes through Fastcase™
• Easy access to integrated supplements, forms and checklists, author pages, and tables of authorities
• Links to relevant news and events

Firm Subscriptions

Firm prices for titles and libraries are determined by the number of lawyers in a firm. To determine the cost of your firm's subscription, please call customer service at (800) 728-7788.

More Information:

• FAQs
• Purchase Options
• List of Titles
• Technical FAQs

Notice:

By purchasing and using the Books Content provided on the site, you signify your agreement to all terms, conditions, policies and notices contained or referenced in the terms of the license. If you do not agree with any provision of this license, do not purchase any of the Books Content. You must treat the Books Content like any other copyrighted material. To view the full agreement, please click here.

By purchasing and using the Books Content provided on the site, you signify your agreement to all terms, conditions, policies and notices contained or referenced in the terms of the license. If you do not agree with any provision of this license, do not purchase any of the Books Content. You must treat the Books Content like any other copyrighted material. To view the full agreement, click here.

Auto Supplementation Service Available

To help you keep your books up to date and save money, the State Bar offers an automatic supplementation service for print books. With this service, new supplements and revisions are mailed automatically with an invoice. The invoice includes the cost of the supplement or revision at a 10% discount, the standard postage and handling charge, and Wisconsin sales tax. Return privileges apply, and you may cancel your subscription at any time. If you DO NOT wish to subscribe to new supplements or revisions, please opt out at checkout or notify Customer Service after you order at (800) 728-7788.

Supplements are automatically integrated (at no extra charge) for Books UnBound Subscriptions.

Need books for a crowd?

Discounted pricing is available for orders of 10 or more copies. We offer educational discounts to instructors who would like to use our books for a class.

For information about these options or becoming a PINNACLE books distributor, please contact us at (800) 728-7788 or service@wisbar.org.

Try Books UnBound for Free

Books UnBound® is the exclusive online digital resource from State Bar of Wisconsin PINNACLE® books that Wisconsin attorneys have trusted and relied on for decades, including all the “brown binders” and other treatises, the Wisconsin Attorney’s Desk Reference, Wisconsin Judicial Benchbooks, and now all of our most recent books previously released in print only. Featuring a fast, user-friendly interface protected by two-factor authentication, a powerful search function, an expanded notes feature, and one-click access to Fastcase and other primary law resources, Books UnBound is a one-stop shop for all your legal research needs.

Take a peek! 

Have questions? Interested in a training session at your office? Contact Carol Chapman by email or phone at (800) 444-9404 ext. 6113.