Appellate Judicial Efficiency
The timing of released Wisconsin Supreme Court opinions is a popular topic this time of year among many members of the legal community. The Wisconsin Supreme Court begins hearing cases in September every year and generally hears between six and ten cases each month through April. In May, oral argument dates are set but not always used. No oral arguments are held in June, and the term officially ends at the end of June. This year, the court decided 57 cases. Of those decisions, 23 cases (40 percent) were released after the term ended, i.e., on or after July 1. In May and June, a total of 18 cases (32 percent) were released. Does it really matter that over 70 percent of the court’s cases were released either after the term ended or in the last two months of the term? I m not sure what the answer is to that question, but I do believe the Wisconsin Supreme Court should take measures to improve its appellate judicial efficiency.