Rule (Petition for review)
Wis. Stat. § 809.62
in effect(1g) Definitions. In this section:
(a) “Adverse decision” means a final order or decision of the court of appeals, the result of which is contrary, in whole or in part, to the result sought in that court by any party seeking review.
(b) “Adverse decision” includes the court of appeals’ denial of or failure to grant the full relief sought or the court of appeals’ denial of the preferred form of relief.
(c) “Adverse decision” does not include a party’s disagreement with the court of appeals’ language or rationale in granting a party’s requested relief.
(1m) General rule; time limits.
(a)
1. A party may file with the supreme court a petition for review of an adverse decision of the court of appeals pursuant to s. 808.10. The clerk shall docket the petition for review in the supreme court and notify the parties that the petition has been filed.
2. For electronic filing users in the court of appeals proceeding, the notice of activity constitutes service of the petition and provides notification that the petition is pending before the supreme court. Where service on the attorney general is required by s. 809.802 (1), service shall be made as provided in s. 809.802 (2). The clerk shall serve the notice of docketing on paper parties by traditional methods. The petitioner shall serve the petition for review on paper parties by traditional methods.
(b) If a motion for reconsideration has been timely filed in the court of appeals under s. 809.24 (1), no party may file a petition for review in the supreme court until after the court of appeals issues an order denying the motion for reconsideration or an amended decision.
(c) If a motion for reconsideration is denied and a petition for review had been filed before the motion for reconsideration was filed, and if the time for filing a response to the petition had not expired when the motion for reconsideration was filed, a response to the petition may be filed within 14 days of the order denying the motion for reconsideration.
(d) If the court of appeals files an amended decision in response to the motion for reconsideration under s. 809.24 (1), any party who filed a petition for review prior to the filing of the motion for reconsideration must file with the clerk of the supreme court a notice affirming the pending petition, a notice withdrawing the pending petition, or an amendment to the pending petition within 14 days after the date of the filing of the court of appeals’ amended decision.
(e) After the petitioning party files a notice affirming or withdrawing the pending petition or an amendment to the pending petition under par. (d), the responding party must file a response to the notice or amendment within 14 days after service of the notice or amendment. The response may be an affirmation of the responding party’s earlier response or a new response.
(1r) Criteria for granting review. Supreme court review is a matter of judicial discretion, not of right, and will be granted only when special and important reasons are presented. The following, while neither controlling nor fully measuring the court’s discretion, indicate criteria that will be considered:
(a) A real and significant question of federal or state constitutional law is presented.
(b) The petition for review demonstrates a need for the supreme court to consider establishing, implementing or changing a policy within its authority.
(c) A decision by the supreme court will help develop, clarify or harmonize the law, and
1. The case calls for the application of a new doctrine rather than merely the application of well-settled principles to the factual situation; or
2. The question presented is a novel one, the resolution of which will have statewide impact; or
3. The question presented is not factual in nature but rather is a question of law of the type that is likely to recur unless resolved by the supreme court.
(d) The court of appeals’ decision is in conflict with controlling opinions of the United States Supreme Court or the supreme court or other court of appeals’ decisions.
(e) The court of appeals’ decision is in accord with opinions of the supreme court or the court of appeals but due to the passage of time or changing circumstances, such opinions are ripe for reexamination.
(2) Contents of petition. Except as provided in s. 809.32 (4), the petition must contain:
(a) A statement of the issues the petitioner seeks to have reviewed, the method or manner of raising the issues in the court of appeals and how the court of appeals decided the issues. The statement of issues shall also identify any issues the petitioner seeks to have reviewed that were not decided by the court of appeals. The statement of an issue shall be deemed to comprise every subsidiary issue as determined by the court. If deemed appropriate by the supreme court, the matter may be remanded to the court of appeals.
(b) A table of contents.
(c) A concise statement of the criteria of sub. (1r) relied upon to support the petition, or in the absence of any of the criteria, a concise statement of other substantial and compelling reasons for review.
(d) A statement of the case containing a description of the nature of the case; the procedural status of the case leading up to the review; the dispositions in the circuit court and court of appeals; and a statement of those facts not included in the opinion of the court of appeals relevant to the issues presented for review, with appropriate citation to the record.
(e) An argument amplifying the reasons relied on to support the petition, arranged in the order of the statement of issues presented. All contentions in support of the petition must be set forth in the petition. A memorandum in support of the petition is not permitted.
(f) As a separate document, an appendix containing, in the following order, all of the following:
1. The decision and opinion of the court of appeals.
2. The judgments, orders, findings of fact, conclusions of law and memorandum decisions of the circuit court and administrative agencies necessary for an understanding of the petition.
3. Any other portions of the record necessary for an understanding of the petition.
4. A copy of any unpublished opinion cited under s. 809.23 (3) (a) or (b).
(2m) Inapplicable to parental consent to abortion cases. Subsection (2) does not apply to a petition for review of an appeal that is governed by s. 809.105. A petition governed by that section shall comply with s. 809.105 (11).
(2r) Application to termination of parental rights cases. This section applies to petitions for review of an appeal under s. 809.107, except as provided in s. 809.107 (6) (f).
(3) Response to petition. Except as provided in sub. (1m) and s. 809.32 (4) and (5), an opposing party may file a response to the petition within 14 days after the service of the petition. If an unpublished opinion is cited under s. 809.23 (3) (a) or (b), a copy of the opinion shall be provided in an appendix to the response. If filed, the response may contain any of the following:
(a) Any reasons for denying the petition.
(b) Any perceived defects that may prevent ruling on the merits of any issue in the petition.
(c) Any perceived misstatements of fact or law set forth in the petition that have a bearing on the question of what issues properly would be before the court if the petition were granted.
(d) Any alternative ground supporting the court of appeals result or a result less favorable to the opposing party than that granted by the court of appeals.
(e) Any other issues the court may need to decide if the petition is granted, in which case the statement shall indicate whether the other issues were raised before the court of appeals, the method or manner of raising the issues in the court of appeals, whether the court of appeals decided the issues, and how the court of appeals decided the issues.
(3m) Petition for cross-review.
(a) When required; time limit. A party who seeks to reverse, vacate, or modify an adverse decision of the court of appeals shall file a petition for cross-review within the period for filing a petition for review with the supreme court, or 30 days after the filing of a petition for review by another party, whichever is later.
(b) No cross-petition required.
1. A petition for cross-review is not necessary to enable an opposing party to defend the court of appeals’ ultimate result or outcome based on any ground, whether or not that ground was ruled upon by the lower courts, as long as the supreme court’s acceptance of that ground would not change the result or outcome below.
2. A petition for cross-review is not necessary to enable an opposing party to assert grounds that establish the party’s right to a result that is less favorable to it than the result or outcome rendered by the court of appeals but more favorable to it than the result or outcome that might be awarded to the petitioner.
(c) Rights and obligations of parties. A party seeking cross-review has the same rights and obligations as a party seeking review under ch. 809, and any party opposing a petition for cross-review has the same rights and obligations as a party opposing review.
(4) Form and length requirements. The petition for review and response, if any, shall conform to s. 809.19 (8) (b) and (bm) and (8g) as to form, pagination, and certification. The petition shall be as short as possible and may not exceed 35 pages in length if a monospaced font or handwriting is used, or 8,000 words if a proportional serif font is used, exclusive of appendix. The first page of the petition for review shall be a white cover page that includes the proper case caption, including the case number, and shall bear the title “Petition for Review.” The first page of the response shall be a white cover page that includes the proper case caption, including the case number, and shall bear the title “Response to Petition for Review.”
(4m) Combined response and petition for cross-review. When a party elects both to submit a response to the petition for review and to seek cross-review, the first page shall be a white cover page that includes the proper case caption and case number, and shall bear the title “Combined Response and Petition for Cross-Review.” The time limits set forth in sub. (3m) shall apply. The response portion of the combined document shall comply with the requirements of subs. (3) and (4). The cross-review portion of the combined document shall comply with the requirements of subs. (2) and (4), except that the requirement of sub. (2) (d) may be omitted. The cross-review portion shall be preceded by a blank white cover. A signature shall be required only at the conclusion of the cross-review portion of the combined document.
(5) Effect on court of appeals proceedings. Except as provided in s. 809.24, the filing of the petition stays further proceedings in the court of appeals.
(6) Conditions of grant of review. The supreme court may grant the petition or the petition for cross-review or both upon such conditions as it considers appropriate, including the filing of additional briefs. If a petition or petition for cross-review is granted, the petitioner or cross-petitioner cannot raise or argue issues not set forth in the petition or petition for cross-review unless ordered otherwise by the supreme court. The supreme court may limit the issues to be considered on review. If the issues to be considered on review are limited by the supreme court and do not include an issue that was identified in a petition or petition for cross-review and that was left undecided by the court of appeals, the supreme court shall remand that issue to the court of appeals upon remittitur, unless that issue has become moot or would have no effect.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/809.62Fetched: 10/7/2026