Last year the court confronted contentious issues that matter not just to lawyers but to the public at large.

A look at last year's leading supreme court civil cases.

Our annual review of the leading cases.

The last body of cases from a court that included Justices Bilandic, Heiple, Miller, and Rathje.

In its '99 civil decisions, the court continued to exert authority over the way legislation is passed but defer to legislative policy choices.

Sweeping constitutional questions took a backseat to more prosaic — but still important — matters.