{"id":2993,"date":"2020-08-19T10:15:27","date_gmt":"2020-08-19T15:15:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/?page_id=2993"},"modified":"2026-04-02T15:37:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T20:37:27","slug":"lawsuits-subpoeanas-service","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/lawsuits-subpoeanas-service\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawsuits, Subpoenas, and Service of Process"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"cfct-build-2993\" class=\"cfct-build grid\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-md-3 cfct-block\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"cfct-module cfct-supplemental\">\n\t\t\t\t    <div class=\"cfct-mod-content hidden-print\">\n<h3 class=\"cfct-mod-title\" id=\"title-cfct-module-2ad3523a5ecf7518f676e27a6c12c601\" hidden-print\">Legal Topics<button type=\"button\" class=\"visible-xs collapsed\" data-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                                                data-target=\".menu-cfct-module-2ad3523a5ecf7518f676e27a6c12c601-container\">\n\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Toggle navigation<\/span>\n\t\t<span class=\"glyphicon glyphicon-chevron-up\"><\/span><\/button><\/h3>    <nav class=\"widget widget_meta\" aria-labelledby=\"title-cfct-module-2ad3523a5ecf7518f676e27a6c12c601\">\n\n        <div class=\"menu-cfct-module-2ad3523a5ecf7518f676e27a6c12c601-container collapse navbar-collapse\"><ul id = \"menu-legal-topics\" class = \"menu nav\"><li id=\"menu-item-120\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-120\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/academic-staff-appointments\/\">Academic Staff Appointments<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-121\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-121\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/ada-employment\/\">ADA \u2013 Employment<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-122\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-122\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/ada-students\/\">ADA \u2013 Students<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-124\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-124\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/concealed-carry\/\">Concealed Carry<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-125\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-125\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/contracts\/\">Contracts<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-126\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-126\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/copyright\/\">Copyright<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-127\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-127\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/discrimination-in-employment\/\">Discrimination in Employment<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-130\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-130\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/fmla\/\">FMLA<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-132\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-132\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/holiday-displays\/\">Holiday Displays<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-133\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-133\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/immigration\/\">Immigration<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-3305\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-3305\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/lawsuits-subpoeanas-service\/\">Lawsuits, Subpoenas, and Service of Process<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-134\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-134\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/open-meetings-law\/\">Open Meetings Law<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-136\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-136\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/sexual-harassment\/\">Sexual Harassment<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-137\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-137\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/legal-topics\/tenure-and-appointments\/\">Tenure &amp; Appointments<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>    <\/nav>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div><div class=\"col-md-9 cfct-block\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"cfct-module uwsa-callout\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cfct-mod-content callout standard grey-bg\">\n    <h3 class=\"cfct-mod-title\">Service of Process<\/h3><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">All legal documents to be served on the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System should be delivered in person to:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-aria-level=\"1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-listid=\"2\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">1220 Linden Drive<br \/>Madison, WI 53706<br \/><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Please email <a href=\"mailto:counsel@wisconsin.edu\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">counsel@wisconsin.edu<\/span><\/a> or call 608-262-2995 to schedule a time for a member of our staff to meet you.<\/p>\n<p>For federal lawsuits served by mail; please include a waiver of personal service form pursuant to FRCP 4.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Mailing Address<br \/>1852 Van Hise Hall<br \/><\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">1220 Linden Drive<br \/>Madison, WI 53706<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If you have questions, please email <\/span><a href=\"mailto:counsel@wisconsin.edu\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">counsel@wisconsin.edu<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> or call 608-26<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">2<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">-2995<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"cfct-module uwsa-rich-text\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cfct-mod-content copy\"><h2><strong>Service of Lawsuits, Subpoenas, or Other Legal Documents<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h4><strong>Definitions:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><strong>Service of Process &#8211; <\/strong>the formal method of delivering legal documents to parties named in a lawsuit or legal proceeding.\u00a0 Service of process may happen by U.S. Mail, fax, email, or in-person delivery by a sheriff or process server.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Subpoena &#8211; <\/strong>legal document requiring a person to testify, present information, or disclose documents in a legal proceeding.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Summons &#8211; <\/strong>written notice (often accompanied by a complaint) which notifies parties a lawsuit has been filed and sets the date of the first court appearance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Complaint &#8211; <\/strong>the document filed to begin a lawsuit which identifies the involved parties, the reason for filing the lawsuit, and the compensation or relief sought.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>The Importance of Service of Process<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>The U.S. Constitution provides for due process including the guarantee of a fair trial. The first step in providing a fair trial is notifying all parties involved of the lawsuit and the grounds for filing the lawsuit. The notification process is knowns as \u201cprocess of service.\u201d Each state has its own rules about how to properly serve a lawsuit. \u201cService of process\u201d is important because it notifies the defendant of the charges against them and gives them time to prepare a defense. It also allows the court to determine whether it has the jurisdiction or legal authority to make a ruling on the lawsuit. Poor or incorrect service may cause a lawsuit to be dismissed. If any UW institution needs to file a lawsuit, the Office of General Counsel will handle the process of service. The FAQs cover how to respond if the University or any of its employees are served with a lawsuit (or are compelled to testify).<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Frequently Asked Questions<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>I received a visit from the sheriff or process server asking me to accept service of a complaint in connection with a lawsuit related to my university duties.\u00a0 What should I do?<\/strong><\/p>\n<table class=\"table-bordered\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"table-red\" style=\"vertical-align: middle\" width=\"312\"><strong>If you are:<\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"table-red\" style=\"vertical-align: middle\" width=\"312\"><strong>Procedure:<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"312\">not individually named in the lawsuit<\/td>\n<td width=\"312\">Do <strong>NOT<\/strong> accept service.\u00a0 Refer them to the OGC<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 312px\" width=\"312\">named individually in a lawsuit related to your position at the University<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 312px\" width=\"312\">\n<ul>\n<li>Contact the OGC to accept service on your behalf<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>or<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Accept the documents without signing anything and send them to the OGC<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"312\">served or receive a copy of a summons and complaint relating to your position at the University<\/td>\n<td width=\"312\">Keep all the original documents and contact the OGC immediately<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>I received a letter, email, or fax requesting me to accept service of a complaint in connection with a lawsuit related to my university duties.\u00a0 What should I do?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Email the documents to <a href=\"mailto:counsel@wisconsin.edu\">counsel@wisconsin.edu<\/a>.\u00a0 Your email should include any documentation about the date, time, and method of receipt of service.\u00a0 Do not sign any acknowledgement or waiver of service.\u00a0 If contacted about receipt of the documents, you can confirm you received the documents and forwarded them to your legal counsel.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If I am served with a summons and complaint, should I sign the acknowledgement or waiver of service form that comes with it?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>No.\u00a0 Do not sign an acknowledgement or waiver of service form.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, gather the original complaint and the unsigned acknowledgment or waiver and forward them to the OGC immediately. We will forward the document(s) to the Office of Attorney General and request representation for the named defendant.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Reasoning: <\/strong>The time for filing a response to a complaint is very short. In federal cases, the deadline is 20 days from when the acknowledgment is signed and returned to the court. University employee defendants are entitled to representation provided by the Office of Attorney General, but the process for securing representation can take several days, which means <span style=\"float: none;background-color: transparent;cursor: text;font-family: 'Open Sans','Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-variant: normal;font-weight: 400;letter-spacing: normal;text-align: left;text-decoration: none;text-indent: 0px;text-transform: none\">signing and returning the acknowledgment or waiver <\/span>can <span style=\"float: none;background-color: transparent;cursor: text;font-family: 'Open Sans','Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-variant: normal;font-weight: 400;letter-spacing: normal;text-align: left;text-decoration: none;text-indent: 0px;text-transform: none\">substantially <\/span>reduce the amount of time the Assistant Attorney General handling the case has to respond. Therefore, the Office of Attorney General should be the one to sign and return the <span style=\"float: none;background-color: transparent;cursor: text;font-family: 'Open Sans','Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-variant: normal;font-weight: 400;letter-spacing: normal;text-align: left;text-decoration: none;text-indent: 0px;text-transform: none\">acknowledgment or wavier to ensure<\/span> they have the full 20 days to respond.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>I received a \u201csubpoena duces tecum\u201d asking me to turn over university-related documents.\u00a0 How do I respond?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Contact the OGC immediately.\u00a0 Do not turn over any documents or respond unless directed to by the OGC.\u00a0 The OGC can help you gather the appropriate documents, make objections, and when necessary, seek a protective order to preserve the confidentiality of certain documents.<\/p>\n<p><strong>I received a subpoena to appear as a witness for a deposition or in court.\u00a0 What should I do?<\/strong><\/p>\n<table class=\"table-bordered\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"table-red\" style=\"width: 623px;vertical-align: middle\" colspan=\"2\" width=\"623\"><strong>If the subpoena:<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"312\">involves your duties or activities at the University<\/td>\n<td width=\"312\">Contact the OGC immediately<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"312\">is unrelated to the University or your University duties<\/td>\n<td width=\"312\">Contact your personal attorney<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>If you don&#8217;t already have an attorney, the State Bar of Wisconsin (800-362-9082) can help you find one.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"parent":51,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2993","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","cfct-can-haz-build"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/75"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2993"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2993\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3668,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2993\/revisions\/3668"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/51"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/general-counsel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}