The Wisconsin Constitution establishes that the State of Wisconsin enjoys sovereign immunity, or protection from suit without its consent, in its own courts. Like other states, Wisconsin also enjoys sovereign immunity in federal courts, as expressed in the U.S. Constitution. Sovereign immunity’s protections are not absolute, however, either in Wisconsin courts or federal courts. This information memorandum provides an overview of how sovereign immunity functions in the federal and Wisconsin court systems, and discusses the different exceptions to the doctrine that apply in both court systems.