For lawyers and judges throughout the state, Wisconsin Law Journal is a vital source of current information about law Wisconsin.

As reported in our Consumer Data Service Readership Study, Wisconsin Law Journal readers represent a unique market for products and services essential to their personal and professional success.

That is why a wide range of businesses advertise in Wisconsin Law Journal – from legal product vendors to expert witnesses to marketers of high-end household products and services.

Wisconsin Law Journal as an Information Source

35 minutes. That’s how long readers spend on average reading a single issue of Wisconsin Law Journal.

88% of readers say Wisconsin Law Journal is an “excellent” or “good” source for Wisconsin legal news.

89% of readers call Wisconsin Law Journals’ coverage of the latest court decisions “very useful.”

91% of readers say Wisconsin Law Journal is “excellent” or “good” as a “comprehensive source for case law news in Wisconsin.”

• The most popular sections of Wisconsin Law Journal are the case digests, the “Most Important Opinions” column and stories about key court decisions, practice tips and technology issues.
  
  
• Wisconsin Law Journal follows its readers home. More than 30% say they read Wisconsin Law Journal there.
  
  
• On average, a copy of Wisconsin Law Journal will be passed along and read by at least five readers. And nearly 20% of readers will pass their copy along to between five and twenty others.

Our readers are buyers
Here’s what as many as 50% of our readers say they’re "likely" or "very likely" to buy this year.
Computer services / software / equipment Internet/on-line services Computer training Employment / personnel services Insurance: risk / casualty programs Litigation support services Long distance telephone service	Office equipment, furnishings or supplies Pension planning Printing services Cellular/mobile phones Training/educational seminars Business travel Banking & financial service

About the Law Firms

• The average number of attorneys in law firms that subscribe to Wisconsin Law Journal is 9.
  
  
• More than 66% of firms that subscribe have 4 attorneys or fewer, and 88% have 10 or fewer attorneys.
  
  
• Those totals match survey results on overall Wisconsin State Bar membership, which show more than two-thirds of members are in small firms or solo practice.

Where do Wisconsin Law Journal readers get their legal information?	What other publications do Wisconsin Law Journal readers pay to read?	What publications do Wisconsin Law Journal readers receive free as part of organization memberships?
Here’s how readers ranked the “legal information resources most often used.” (Multiple responses permitted)	Respondents named more than 25 publications. Here are the top 5 “other”\publications named. (Multiple responses permitted)	Wisconsin Law Journal readers are members of a wide variety of legal organizations, including local and specialty bars. Here are the top 5 named. (Multiple responses permitted)
Wisconsin Law Journal 71% West 44% LOIS 28% Internet 12% Lexis/Nexis 11% Shepard ’s 8% Lawyer ’s Co-op 5%	Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 67% Milwaukee Business Journal 20% Wisconsin State Journal 21% Wisconsin Jury Verdicts 13% The Daily Reporter 10%	Wisconsin Lawyer 79% ABA Journal 34% The Verdict (WATL) 23% Milwaukee Bar Association Messenger 19% Dane County Bar Association Newsletter 9%

Wisconsin Law Journal Readers & Electronic Research

• 47% of readers say electronic research tools are “very important” to their law practices, and 29% say they are “somewhat important.”
  
  
• The most popular electronic research tool used by Wisconsin Law Journal readers are
  CD-ROMs (64%).
  
  
• 51% of readers say they use the Internet in their law practice.

Reader Practice Areas

Wisconsin Law Journal readers work in a wide range of practice areas – as is typical of small-to mid-size firm practitioners. The following are the top practice areas selected in our survey (multiple responses were permitted; results exclude “judge” responses):

Civil Litigation — 48% Personal Injury/Plaintiffs — 38% Criminal Law — 36% Family Law — 33% Labor & Employment Law — 33% General Practice — 29% Real Property Law — 26% Traffic Law — 27% Business Law — 23% Estate Planning — 25% Probate Law — 21% Insurance Defense —18% Municipal/State Law — 16% Children and the Law — 13% Tax Law — 13%

Construction Law/Public Contracts — 10% Elder Law — 11% Bankruptcy Law — 11% Mediation/Arbitration — 11% Public Defender — 11% Creditor’s Rights — 9% Corporate Counsel — 8% Public Contracts — 8% Public Prosecutor — 7% Employee Benefits — 6% Office management — 6% Environmental — 5% Public Law — 5% Intellectual Property — 3% Health Law — 2%

Wisconsin Law Journal Readers & Electronic Research

47% of readers say electronic research tools are “very important” to their law practices, and 29% say they are “somewhat important.”

The most popular electronic research tool used by Wisconsin Law Journal readers are CD-ROMs (64%).

51% of readers say they use the Internet in their law practice.

Reader’s professional spending & referrals

• On average, readers will engage the services of expert witnesses or consultants morethan 9 times a year. And more than 25% will use them more than 11 times per year.
  
  
• Firms which subscribe to Wisconsin Law Journal will spend, on average, more than $6,000 per year on consultants and experts, including 1/3 who will spend more than $10,000 per year.
  
  
• Readers refer cases to other lawyers, on average, more than 11 times per year.
  22% will refer cases to another lawyer more than 20 times per year.
  
  
• 64% of Wisconsin Law Journal readers use sources other than the State Bar to fulfill their
  CLE requirements.
  
  
• Our readers dine out – for breakfasts, lunches or dinners – 12 times per month, on average.
  
  
• Wisconsin Law Journal readers will take at least six round-trip airline flights per year.
  
  
• On average, Wisconsin Law Journal readers will receive 19 pieces of direct mail per week.
  
  
• Their average client entertainment expenditure every year is $1,150.

Here’s who more than a third – and as many as 50% of our readers say they “regularly” or “occasionally” refer their clients to:
Banks CPAs Counselors	Financial/Investment advisors Insurers Mediation Services	Physicians Real Estate Brokers Tax advisors

Demographics

• The average age of readers is 47
  
  
• 68% of readers are men and 18% are women (14% chose not to respond to this question).
  
  
• Average household income is $140,000 and 23% have incomes greater than $150,000.

Homes Own their home 73% Own 2nd/vacation home 18%

The average home value for Wisconsin Law Journal readers is $244,417. 32% have homes valued at greater than $250,000.

Purchasing & Investments Own life insurance 47% Invest in the stock market 45% Own money market accounts 44% Invest in real estate (other than own home): 40%

For 56% of these readers, the value of these investments is greater than $50,000 For 30% of these readers, the value of these investments is greater than $200,000

Household Spending

88% of readers use a personal computer at home 51% use this computer for Internet access. 71% of readers have engaged in personal travel in the last 12 months. 70% read a book for pleasure. 67% took a class, or engaged in some form of continuing education. 55% of readers went to a concert, a show, opera or ballet in the last year. 53% went to a sporting event. 47% engaged in volunteer activities. 45% went bicycling. 43% played golf. 42% went to church. And 33% went boating, 28% fished or hunted, 24% skied and 23% jogged.

Wisconsin Law Journal readers say they are “very” or “somewhat likely” to purchase the following products/services in the next 12 months.
Clothing - 75%	Electronics - 60%	Automobile - 41%
Travel/trip/cruise - 72%	Personal computer - 55%	Antiques/art - 40%
Computer Software - 63%	Sports equipment - 52%	Health/country club membership - 35%
Wine/liquor - 63%	Fine jewelry - 44%	Home exercise equipment - 29%