Division of Legal Services

The Division of Legal Services (DLS) provides legal representation and advice to the Governor, Legislature, other state officers and state agencies. The Division consists of units organized on the substantive areas of law that maximize the advantages of specialization. Each unit is managed by a supervising attorney and is comprised of assistant attorneys general, paralegals, and secretarial staff.

The Civil Litigation Unit is responsible for providing legal defense at both the trial and appellate levels in civil rights, tort, and employment cases brought against the State of Wisconsin, its agencies, its university system, and State employees.

The Consumer Protection and Antitrust Unit is responsible for enforcing Wisconsin’s consumer protection and antitrust laws. The unit handles a variety of enforcement matters, often in collaboration with other state agencies.

The Criminal Appeals Unit represents the state in all felony appeals before the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court.

The Criminal Litigation Unit performs a number of important functions involving criminal related matters including prosecuting selected criminal violations and sexual predator commitments and providing training and advice to state prosecutions and law enforcement.

The Environmental Protection Unit enforces state environmental laws by prosecuting violations referred to the Attorney General by environmental regulatory agencies or requested by district attorneys.

The Medicaid Fraud Control and Elder Abuse Unit (MFCEAU) investigates and prosecutes crimes committed against vulnerable adults in nursing homes and other facilities, as well as fraud perpetrated by providers against the Wisconsin Medicaid program.

The State Programs, Administration and Revenue Unit (SPAR) provides legal advice and handles litigation in a variety of areas, with an emphasis on issues relating to governmental authority, constitutional and administrative law and revenue and finance.

Wisconsin law does not authorize the Attorney General and employees of the Department of Justice to provide legal advice to private individuals. If you need legal advice or representation you may want to contact a private attorney. The State Bar of Wisconsin Lawyer Referral and Information Service can help you determine if you need a lawyer, and how to proceed if you do.