Richard Posner has suggested that one way to perceive the stature or influence of justices is to measure the frequency with which law reviews cite them.[1] This approach highlighted the remarkable sway of Shirley Abrahamson as her career drew to a close—and in 2023 it generated an update comparing the number of references for each of her former colleagues still on the bench. With the passage of three more years and the arrival of new justices, the time has come for another look at how often current members of the court have surfaced in the nation’s law reviews.[Continue Reading…]
Justices’ Prominence in Law Review Articles—Updated to January 2026
January 20, 2026 by Leave a Comment
Wisconsin Supreme Court Statistics, 1918-19
January 6, 2026 by Leave a Comment
These tables are derived from information contained in 199 Wisconsin Supreme Court decisions that were turned up in a Nexis Uni search for decisions filed between September 1, 1918, and August 31, 1919. The total of 199 decisions does not include various orders pertaining to petitions, motions, and disciplinary matters involving lawyers and judges.
The tables are available as a complete set and by individual topic in the subsets listed below.
Four-to-Three Decisions
Decisions Arranged by Vote Split
Frequency of Justices in the Majority
Distribution of Opinion Authorship
Frequency of Agreement Between Pairs of Justices
The 2025-26 Fantasy League Season Preview
January 1, 2026 by Leave a Comment
The Competition Committee’s winter meeting focused almost exclusively on the Gavels of the State Public Defender’s Office. For years the league’s dominant team, the Gavels may no longer be viable in light of the tiny number of criminal cases … [Continue reading]
Wisconsin Supreme Court Statistics, 1919-20
December 9, 2025 by Leave a Comment
These tables are derived from information contained in 266 Wisconsin Supreme Court decisions that were turned up in a Nexis Uni search for decisions filed between September 1, 1919, and August 31, 1920. The total of 266 decisions does not include … [Continue reading]
“Women and the Wisconsin Supreme Court”: An Update through 2024-25
November 11, 2025 by Leave a Comment
The passage of three years since the last update prompts our return to the question of how frequently women have been delivering oral arguments—as representatives of the Department of Justice, the Public Defender, private firms, and all categories … [Continue reading]
Wisconsin Supreme Court Statistics, 1920-21
October 13, 2025 by Leave a Comment
These tables are derived from information contained in 250 Wisconsin Supreme Court decisions that were turned up in a Nexis Uni search for decisions filed between September 1, 1920, and August 31, 1921. The total of 250 decisions does not include … [Continue reading]
Measuring Polarization at the Court
September 9, 2025 by 1 Comment
Although numerous commentators have characterized the Wisconsin Supreme Court as polarized, this conclusion often seemed based on nothing more precise than acrimonious exchanges between justices or the number of 4-3 decisions filed that term. … [Continue reading]
Unanimous and 4-3 Decisions: Some Longterm Trends
August 20, 2025 by Leave a Comment
At a time when the Wisconsin Supreme Court has been described as polarized, dysfunctional, and politicized,[1] some commentators have noted that fully 36% of decisions were unanimous in 2024-25—consistent with levels in previous terms and a larger … [Continue reading]
Wisconsin Supreme Court Statistics, 1921-22
August 5, 2025 by Leave a Comment
These tables are derived from information contained in 285 Wisconsin Supreme Court decisions that were turned up in a Nexis Uni search for decisions filed between September 1, 1921, and August 31, 1922. The total of 285 decisions does not include … [Continue reading]
Correction for the 2024-25 Statistics
July 28, 2025 by Leave a Comment
I’m grateful to a reader for bringing to my attention that I mistakenly attributed a dissent in State v. Joan L. Stetzer to Justice Protasiewicz that should have been credited to Justice Karofsky. I have corrected the four affected tables in the … [Continue reading]
