Supreme Court approves mandatory appellate e-filing

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has approved a rule petition to make e-filing mandatory in the appellate courts.

An order issued on Friday sets July 1 as the date when appellate e-filing will become mandatory for attorneys. The mandatory use of e-filing in the state Supreme Court will be phased in according to a schedule set by the court.

The approved rule petition, labeled as Rule Petition 20-07, also amends the Supreme Court rules as needed to implement the e-filing system.

In 2019, CCAP began working with the Courts of Appeals and state Supreme Court on an e-filing pilot project. The purpose was to set up a comprehensive filing system similar to what’s used in the circuit courts. The clerk’s office rolled out voluntary participation for the four appellate courts in the state beginning in August, and the appellate system now accepts electronic filings for any matter.

Sheila T. Reiff, the clerk of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, filed Rule Petition 20-07 in November. The state Supreme Court held a public hearing on the petition in March, during which attorneys, judges and CCAP staff all endorsed approval of the petition.