In March 2021, the Wisconsin Supreme Court approved a rule change requested by the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission to update the law student practice rule in SCR Chapter 50. The changes made it easier for more law students to gain practical experience while helping to meet the vast unmet need for legal assistance in Wisconsin.
Data from the first year of the rule change confirms that there was significant unmet demand for this meaningful type of service learning opportunity. Since the new rule was adopted:
• 131 University of Wisconsin law students have been certified under the new rule, an increase of 88 students compared to the old rule
• 105 Marquette University law students have been certified under the new rule, an increase of 31 students compared to the old rule
The net result of this rule change over the last year has been to engage an additional 119 law students in helping to close the justice gap in Wisconsin. That’s major step forward for access to justice in Wisconsin.
