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Unemployment Law Training

The Commission is proud to have hosted a 4-part Zoom webinar training series on unemployment law for volunteer attorneys and law students with our co-sponsors: Legal Action of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Judicare, and Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinics. The topic was split into 4 one hour blocks that covered the life cycle of an unemployment benefits claim from basic eligibility and filing concerns to the appeal hearing. Our presenters also covered the

Jeff Brown June 15, 2020

Free Legal Answers Pandemic Update

Wisconsin Free Legal Answers, the online legal clinic sponsored by the Commission, has been a key component of the legal community’s pandemic response. As Wisconsin’s Safer at Home order went into effect, all free legal clinics and self-help desks were quickly shuttered. Courts restricted who could enter to file documents or ask questions. All civil legal aid offices closed their offices to visitors and most also stopped taking on new

Jeff Brown May 27, 2020

Free Legal Answers year in review (2019)

Last year was another great year for Wisconsin Free Legal Answers. Here are the numbers for 2019 (with comparisons to 2018). 999 questions asked (up 20%) 948 questions answered (up 28%) 95% answer rate (up from 89%) We also went from 190 volunteers signed up a year ago to 240 volunteers today. The top areas for questions were Family (40%), Consumer (14%), Housing (12%), Employment (6%), Estates (5%), Real estate (3%),

Jeff Brown February 14, 2020

New video – What is civil legal aid and why is it so important?

Here is a great example of how to explain what civil legal aid is and why it’s so important. It’s a network of resources that help make justice available to everyone, not just those who can afford to pay for it. The video was produced by the Illinois Equal Justice Foundation and is distributed with assistance from Voices for Civil Justice and the Kresge Foundation.

Jeff Brown September 26, 2018

Free Legal Answers Update

Wisconsin Free Legal Answers (WFLA) is having a good year thanks to the great efforts of our volunteers. WFLA is the online legal clinic established by the Commission in partnership with ABA Free Legal Answers to provide an opportunity for qualifying Wisconsin residents to get answers to basic civil legal questions from volunteer attorneys. Since its launch in 2016, more than 1800 Wisconsin residents have used WFLA to ask over

Jeff Brown August 8, 2018

Wisconsin Free Legal Answers 2017 in Review

Wisconsin Free Legal Answers continues to provide an easy way for the public to ask civil legal questions and for volunteer lawyers to respond. Our first full year of operating as part of the national ABA Free Legal Answers network has been outstanding. We proved that an online legal clinic model can work in Wisconsin. Here is what the success of our volunteers looks like:

Jeff Brown December 14, 2017

Supporting LSC and equal justice under law

Today, the President released his budget framework, including a proposal to eliminate the Legal Services Corporation, the largest single national funding source for free civil legal assistance to low income Americans. The Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission strongly urges Congress to continue its longstanding bipartisan support of LSC and reject this budget proposal. Eliminating LSC would undercut America’s promise of equal justice for all and harm our state justice system. In

Jeff Brown March 16, 2017

Legislative Council adopts access to justice recommendations

The Legislative Council met on February 15 and voted to accept both the report and the recommendations from its Study Committee on Access to Civil Legal Services. The three legislative proposals will: Create legislation encouraging the state departments of Administration, Children & Families, Workforce Development, Justice, and Health Services to use a portion of the federal block grants they receive to assist with the civil legal needs of Wisconsin residents. Create an Interagency Legal

Jeff Brown February 28, 2017

New statewide help for elder abuse victims

By Sam Wegleitner, Legal Action of Wisconsin Legal Action of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Judicare will be providing statewide civil legal aid to elder abuse victims through the Elder Rights Project (ERP). The Elder Rights project seeks to help elder abuse victims in Wisconsin become safe and independent, stabilize their lives, and meet their emotional and physical needs by resolving their critical civil legal problems. Fees and fines imposed on criminals

Jeff Brown February 28, 2017

Just Wisconsin News for November

In this month’s Just Wisconsin newsletter, we have updates on the Legislative Council Study Committee on Access to Civil Legal Services, upcoming changes to Wisconsin Legal Advice Online, a new eviction defense project in Milwaukee and some national news highlights. The Pro Bono Honor Society is also looking for outstanding attorneys who have provided at least 50 hours of qualifying pro bono legal services in 2016. One additional news item

Jeff Brown November 4, 2016

WISATJ needs 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 a 17 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 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. 

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