Home Legal Help

|  |

HOW TO FIND LEGAL HELP

State Bar of Wisconsin Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS)
The State Bar of Wisconsin has a free service to help locate an attorney in your area specializing in the kind of help you need.   The Lawyer Referral and Information Service is available online or by calling (800) 362-9082.  The attorney they name for you will meet with you for a $20 charge to discuss what type of representation you need, whether they will take your case, and how much they would charge to handle your case.  They do not provide information on which attorneys are available pro bono (for reduced fees or free).  Their only suggestion is to call local attorneys and ask them. 

The following services are available only to those who qualify by reason of income or disability.  Information on qualifying for their services is available from them.

Public Defender
If you are charged with a crime or with violating a restraining order, you can ask the Public Defender for help.  They cover Crawford, Grant, Iowa and Richland counties.  They can be reached at (608) 723-6436.  You must meet income restrictions to qualify for their services. 

Legal Action of Wisconsin
Legal Action of Wisconsin can provide help in some civil (noncriminal) cases, like divorce or child custody.  They also help with "poverty law" issues, like eviction and problems with benefits like food stamps, SSI, and SSDI.  There are income restrictions on eligibility.  Their restrictions and the types of cases they take are listed on their website, or you can call them at:

Disability Rights Wisconsin (formerly Wisconsin Coalition for Advocacy)
For help with disability law issues, such as representative payees or guardianship,  Disability Rights Wisconsin is a private, nonprofit agency chosen by Wisconsin's Governor to provide protection and advocacy for people with disabilities throughout the state.  WCA is completely independent of state government and direct service providers.  Contact them via the web or at:

University of Wisconsin Law School
The UW's Law School in Madison has several legal clinics staffed primarily by students to provide assistance, but each program has restrictions on who qualifies for their services.  The most general information on their clinical programs is under the Frank J. Remington Center.  The one most applicable to the mentally ill is described on their website as:

The Economic Justice Institute (EJI) is home to the law school's civil, anti-poverty clinical programs: the Consumer Law Litigation Clinic, The Neighborhood Law Project, and the Elder Law Clinic.  EJI programs are dedicated to serving low-income and other underrepresented clients in matters designed to enhance access to justice and economic security.  Law students enrolled in EJI programs have primary responsibility for a wide-ranging set of cases and problems.  EJI offers students extraordinary client contact, direct advocacy skills, and the opportunity to reflect on the role -- and the limits -- of law in addressing social problems"  They can be found on the web or at:

WisPACT (Wisconsin Pooled and Community Trusts)
WisPACT is not a legal help provider.  They manage funds for disabled people who would lose their eligibility for programs if the money were not held in special trusts.  Further information is available on their website or at (608) 268-6006.

|  |