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Judicare launches Northern Wisconsin Legal Advice Project

by Beth Richlen On July 1, 2013, Wisconsin Judicare and the Tenth Judicial District Pro Se Committee launched a new online legal advice website called Northern Wisconsin Legal Advice Project (www.NWLAP.org). The website is intended to provide brief legal advice to low-income residents of the 10th Judicial District, which includes Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Chippewa, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Polk, Rusk, Sawyer, St. Croix and Washburn counties. The website is funded by

Jeff Brown July 29, 2013

Building a pro bono culture for law students

By Angela F. Schultz, Marquette University Law School & Ann Zimmerman, University of Wisconsin Law School Both of Wisconsin’s law schools have created a Pro Bono Society to recognize the pro bono legal services provided their students. Each year, students qualifying for membership in these honorary societies are recognized for their achievement at a special event. In addition, Pro Bono Society members wear an honor cord at graduation and receive special

Jeff Brown July 29, 2013

Updating the Judicial Code for the Age of Self-Represented Litigants

A working group convened by the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission is examining possible changes to the Wisconsin Code of Judicial Conduct that would provide additional guidance to judges to help address one of the challenges raised by the growth in self-represented litigants. The working group, led by retired Court of Appeals Judge Margaret Vergeront, has been preparing proposed changes as well as gathering suggestions from judges and practicing attorneys.

Jeff Brown July 29, 2013

Milwaukee’s new lawyer for a day program

By Mike Gonring, Quarles & Brady For victims of domestic abuse, the justice gap is the Grand Canyon. With their lives in many cases literally on the line, the great majority of victims face a judge or court commissioner without the benefit of a lawyer, with little or no knowledge of the evidence needed to satisfy the burden of proof and confronted by an abuser who will say anything to

Jeff Brown July 29, 2013

The return on investing in access to justice

This story in the National Law Journal is just the latest example of how legal services programs and even legal services funding organizations are emphasizing the social “return on investment” that is generated by the work that they do. From the article: Page 14 of Legal Services Corp.’s proposed 2014 budget request to Congress bears the face of a 7-month-old infant wearing a baby helmet to form his skull. He

Jeff Brown July 16, 2013

Making access to justice a nonpartisan issue

When the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission meets on Friday it will be bittersweet due to the refusal by state legislators to take action that would remove Wisconsin from the list of only four states that provide no state funding to support civil legal services to the indigent. Volunteers from the Commission worked with staff from the State Bar of Wisconsin and representatives from numerous other organizations to develop a

Jeff Brown June 6, 2013

Time to Make Legal Assistance for Abuse Victims a Priority

The Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission has released its Legal Services for Abuse Victims Proposal urging the Wisconsin Legislature to ensure that abuse victims in Wisconsin have access to the basic legal services they need to protect themselves and to begin rebuilding their lives. Working with the State Bar of Wisconsin and other stakeholders, the Commission is calling on the Legislature to appropriate $3 million in GPR funding over the 2013-2015 biennium

Jeff Brown April 18, 2013

Commission welcomes two new members

The Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission is pleased to welcome its two newest members, James Gramling and Angela Schultz. James Gramling, was appointed by the Chair of the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Legal Assistance Committee to replace Ness Flores, who is retiring. Gramling will chair the Delivery of Legal Services committee. Gramling received his law degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1971, and immediately began his legal career as

Jeff Brown March 22, 2013

Commission to meet on February 28

The next meeting of the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission will be on February 28 2013, at the State Law Library in Madison. We will be meeting first with the Wisconsin Supreme Court beginning at 10 am and our annual meeting will follow at noon. More information and the agenda will be posted soon.

Jeff Brown January 9, 2013

Welcome to our new home

It’s been a while since our last news post, because we’ve been making a few, ok, a bunch of renovations. Thanks to a lot of help from Melodee Patterson at HomePage Construction Co., we’re pleased to be back with an updated site design that we hope will make it easier for you to find information quickly. Stay tuned! Next up is an update on the state of funding for civil legal

Jeff Brown December 17, 2012