State Bar of Wisconsin

Access to Justice Study Committee Overview

This Committee was appointed by President Guerin to prepare a legal needs study that would provide policy makers with better information about the scope and impact of the problem of access to justice in Wisconsin along with recommendations about how all of the stakeholders in the justice system could work together to do a better job of funding services. Low and moderate income Wisconsin households will be the focus of the study.

On January 12, 2005, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ordered the State Bar to collect a $50 assessment from each active member of the Bar to fund the provision of legal services to the poor through the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation's grant making process. The debate over the assessment produced agreement on a number of important points: (1) there are a large but unknown number of Wisconsin residents who cannot afford to hire an attorney in the traditional manner to help them with critical legal needs; (2) this is a societal problem that lawyers alone cannot solve; (3) many attorneys are already trying to address this problem through their pro bono contributions; (4) access to legal advice is a key component of providing equal justice in Wisconsin; and (5) current funding for civil legal services to the poor in Wisconsin is insufficient to meet even the most basic needs of all those who qualify.

Groups and individuals with an interest in the Committee's work may contact the State Bar's Pro Bono Coordinator, Jeff Brown for more information at (608) 250-6177 or (800) 444-9404 ext. 6177.

Access to Justice Study Committee