Served with a Subpoena or Summons and Complaint

Served with Subpoena

If you receive a subpoena to appear as a witness for a deposition or in court and the matter for which you have been subpoenaed involves your duties or activities at the University, contact OLA for further information. If the matter is unrelated to the University, you should contact your personal attorney.

Please refer to Subpoena under our Legal FAQ section.

If you receive something called a “subpoena duces tecum” asking you to turn over University-related documents, contact OLA immediately. You should not respond or turn over any documents prior to consulting OLA.

 

Served with Summons and Complaint

This is the start of a lawsuit.  If you are named individually in a lawsuit that is related to your position at the University, you may accept service or you may make arrangements for OLA to accept service on your behalf. If you are not individually named, you should not accept service of the complaint for either the University or any other individual named as a defendant.  If you are served or otherwise receive a copy of a summons and complaint relating to your position at the University, keep all the original documents and contact OLA immediately.  Do not sign any acknowledgment or waiver of service forms that come with the summons and complaint.

Instead, gather the original complaint and the UNSIGNED acknowledgment or waiver and forward them to OLA immediately. We will forward them to the Attorney General’s office and request representation for the named defendant.  Under section 165.25, Wis. Stats., the Attorney General and Department of Justice are specifically empowered to represent the University and its employees in University-related lawsuits filed in state and federal court.