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Staff lawyer spotlight – Samir Jaber, Disability Rights Wisconsin

By Rita Lord Right after graduating from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2012, Samir Jaber went to work with Disability Rights Wisconsin (DRW), a private nonprofit organization working to ensure the rights of those with disabilities. Jaber was attracted to a job in the area of social justice because “I was raised in a poor Milwaukee community where people lacked access to services in the justice system. My parents

Jeff Brown February 3, 2015

Volunteer spotlight – Wisconsin lawyers help out in Artesia

By Rita Lord In early 2014, amid a crush of thousands of Central American families caught crossing the border illegally, the federal government expanded the family detention system it had downsized just a few years ago. That set the stage for a remarkable effort to recruit volunteer lawyers from across the United States to travel to remote detention centers and provide legal representation to immigrant adults and children. In 2009,

Jeff Brown February 3, 2015

Using family court to obtain immigration relief for minors

By Marsha M. Mansfield and Stacy Taeuber (This article was first published by the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law and is reprinted with permission.) The Immigrant Justice Clinic at the University of Wisconsin Law School was created in 2012 to provide a sound clinical experience for law students and quality pro bono representation for Wisconsin’s growing immigrant population. The Clinic works closely with the National Immigrant Justice Center in Chicago to represent immigrants in

Jeff Brown October 30, 2014

Provider spotlight – Community Justice, Inc.

By Jennifer Binkley Community Justice Inc. (CJI) is a nonprofit law firm that provides people with access to justice by offering affordable legal services from qualified and dedicated attorneys. Our attorneys work with low-income families and individuals to secure fair representation in court, protecting the legal rights of those who would otherwise face the system alone. While that usually means taking on cases directly, CJI attorneys have often worked to

Jeff Brown October 30, 2014

Lawyer for a day update

By Michael Gonring Milwaukee’s Lawyer for a Day program to have volunteer lawyers provide representation to victims seeking restraining order injunctions has now been up and running for 18 months. This is an update on our progress. During our first 18 months, 478 petitioners were referred to the program through Sojourner Family Peace Center and then screened by law students at Marquette University Law School. Injunctions were granted in 71

Jeff Brown October 29, 2014

Pro bono spotlight – Meghan Healy

By Rita Lord “My parents. Definitely, my parents,” responded Attorney Meghan Healy when asked what prompted her to become a volunteer in numerous social justice organizations. Meghan, her father Howard Healy and sister Kathleen Healy all practice with Di Renzo & Bomier in Neenah and all have volunteered for the Winnebago County Legal Clinic (pdf) since its inception in 2008. The clinic is held at three locations in the Fox Valley

Jeff Brown October 28, 2014

New funding for access to justice

This summer, thanks to a recent Wisconsin Supreme Court order, the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation and the Access to Justice Commission will each have a new source of revenue to support their access to justice missions as of July 1, 2014. The funds will be generated by an increased fee that out of state lawyers must pay in order to practice on a temporary basis in a Wisconsin court. The fee

Jeff Brown July 23, 2014

Staff profile – Jason Mishelow at Centro Legal

You could say it started at a homeless shelter. Jason Mishelow was a college student when he volunteered at Legal Action of Wisconsin and was asked to assist residents at a homeless shelter. Thus began a career dedicated to social justice issues and helping those in need. Mishlow received his law degree from Georgetown University Law School in 2002. In 2003, he joined the staff of Centro Legal, a nonprofit legal services

Jeff Brown July 22, 2014

Pro bono spotlight – Margaret Maroney

By Margaret Maroney I have Fidel Castro to thank for my encore career. His decision in 1980 to allow thousands of Cubans to board boats departing the Port of Mariel for Florida gave me the chance to sample immigration law. At the time, I was an Assistant State Public Defender in the Appellate Division. The U.S. government was eager to return to Cuba those Marielitos who were convicted of a crime

Jeff Brown July 22, 2014

Provider spotlight – Legal Services for Immigrants at Catholic Charities of Milwaukee

By Barbara Graham Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee created its Legal Services for Immigrants (LSI) program to provide legal services and outreach for the marginalized and vulnerable undocumented immigrants who live within the Archdiocese. Three staff attorneys and two paralegals maintain a caseload of 2,000-3,000 clients. Our staff are bilingual in Spanish and English. LSI provides representation before the Board of Immigration Appeals, the Executive Office for Immigration Review in

Jeff Brown July 22, 2014

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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