Mandamus is one of several extraordinary writs which has existed for hundreds of years. Despite its historical significance and its continued usefulness,' surprisingly little has been written on the subject. The purpose of this comment is to discuss the writ as it exists in Wisconsin today. In furtherance of this objective four broad aspects of the writ will be examined. They are: the nature of the writ, jurisdiction of courts to issue the writ, relevant procedure and pleadings and substantive areas in which the writ has been employed.
