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Congress prepares to cut LSC funding (again)

In the midst of the greatest economic meltdown in a generation, Congress is poised to cut 2012 funding for the federal Legal Services Corporation (LSC), the largest single funding source for civil legal services to the poor. LSC funds a national network of nonprofit law offices who leverage their staff and volunteers along with other funds to provide free civil legal services to low income individuals.  The Senate recommendation of a

Jeff Brown September 19, 2011

Wisconsin state budget defunds legal aid for the poor

Just one day after the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission voted to support a civil right to counsel, the state of Wisconsin took a major step back from its support for equal justice under law. Both the Assembly and the Senate voted along party lines to approve the budget, including a provision proposed by the Governor that ends all funding for indigent civil legal services in Wisconsin.  The bill now goes to Governor Walker for

Jeff Brown June 20, 2011

Commission supports a civil right to counsel

At their meeting today, the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission voted unanimously to adopt the following statement: “The Access to Justice Commission emphatically endorses the right to legal counsel for low income Wisconsin residents when basic human needs are at stake, as embodied in Petition 10-08, Petition to Establish a Right to Counsel in Civil Cases, and as found in American Bar Association Recommendation 112A, dated August 7, 2006, which has

Jeff Brown June 16, 2011

Wisconsin risks widening the justice gap

The Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee moved one step closer to eliminating state funding for civil legal services to the indigent in Wisconsin, voting 13-3 on Thursday to remove the funding from the 2011-2013 budget.  The majority’s proposal (pdf) adopts Gov. Walker’s budget proposal to delete both the funding for civil legal services to the indigent and the statutory language that currently governs the administration of the grants. A motion to

Jeff Brown May 13, 2011

US DOJ grants for legal services

The U.S. Dept. of Justice website now includes a “Grant Information” resource page that should interest the civil legal services community. According to the website, the purpose of the page is “to identify open grants, training and technical assistance that may be of particular interest to defender agencies, courts, state, local and tribal jurisdictions, research and academic institutions, and non-profit organizations that are working to enhance legal assistance and related

Jeff Brown May 4, 2011

Budget deal cuts LSC funding

The federal Legal Services Corporation reported today that the recent budget deal between the White House and Congress includes a cut of $15.8 million (3.8%) in funding for LSC in the current fiscal year. Wisconsin’s two LSC grantees, Legal Action of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Judicare would lose collectively lose approximately $189,00 in funding if the agreement is approved by Congress and signed by the President. Update: Together, Legal Action and

Jeff Brown April 12, 2011

Press release on state funding for civil legal services

Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission Urges Legislature to Fund Civil Legal Services March 31, 2011 Contacts: Gregg Moore, President 715-832-7109 Jeff Brown, Staff Coordinator 608-305-4205 MADISON – The Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission urges the Legislature and its Joint Committee on Finance  to maintain the state’s commitment to fund civil legal services for Wisconsin’s poorest and most vulnerable residents by restoring funding for civil legal services in the 2011-13 state

Jeff Brown March 31, 2011

Commission urges support for legal services funding

In a letter to the Joint Committee on Finance, the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission expressed its support for restoring funding in the state budget to support civil legal services to the poor and the disadvantaged. The proposed budget would eliminate all state funding (about $2.5 million) for civil legal services, affecting thousands of our neighbors who are poor, elderly, disabled, abused, homeless, or otherwise unable to obtain legal legal

Jeff Brown March 30, 2011

Annual meeting agenda

The agenda for the Annual Meeting of the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission is available now. March Agenda The Commission will also be meeting with the justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court earlier in the day.

Jeff Brown March 8, 2011

We need your support

Access to justice requires a steady commitment of time, money, and effort. Members of the commission are all volunteers and donate a considerable amount of their time every month.  Everything else we do to support and expand access for Wisconsin residents has some cost. We need your support in the manner that best fits your resources, your time, and your experience. 

Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission
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We are a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) Wisconsin corporation governed by an 18 member board. Board members are appointed by our stakeholders:  the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the Governor, the State Bar of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Legislature, Marquette University Law School, the University of Wisconsin Law School, the Wisconsin Tribal Judges Association, and the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation.

The Commission was created by an order of the Wisconsin Supreme Court in response to a petition filed by the State Bar of Wisconsin. We are a proud member of the Civil Legal Aid Alliance of Wisconsin (CLAAW).

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