State Bar of Wisconsin

Vol. 75, No. 12, December 2002

• Civil legal services law firms merge Jan. 1
• IRS Announces New Standard Mileage Rates
• New Asian Bar Seeks Membersl

Civil legal services law firms merge Jan. 1

Wisconsin's recently merged civil legal services firm serves 39 counties from the following locations:

La Crosse, (800) 873-0927: Buffalo, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, Trempealeau, and Vernon

Dodgeville, (800) 873-0928: Crawford, Grant, Iowa, Lafayette, Richland, and Sauk

Madison, (608) 256-3304: Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Green, Jefferson, and Rock

Racine, (262) 635-8836: Kenosha, Racine, and Walworth

Milwaukee, (414) 278-7722: Milwaukee and Waukesha

Oshkosh, (920) 233-6521: Adams, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Marquette, Ozaukee, Sheboygan, Washington, Waushara, and Winnebago

Green Bay, (920) 432-4645: Brown, Calumet, Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, and Outagamie

Wisconsin Judicare Inc., located in Wausau, serves 33 counties in northern Wisconsin, (800)472-1638:

Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Forest, Iron, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Oneida, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Shawano, St.Croix, Taylor, Vilas, Washburn, Waupaca, and Wood

Effective Jan. 1, three of Wisconsin's civil legal services law firms - Legal Services of Northeastern Wisconsin, Western Wisconsin Legal Services, and Legal Action of Wisconsin - will combine into one firm. Western Wisconsin Legal Services will be known as Legal Action of Wisconsin. Legal Services of Northeastern Wisconsin will be known as Legal Services of Northeastern Wisconsin, an office of Legal Action of Wisconsin.

"This merger became mandatory when the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) reduced the number of service territories in Wisconsin from four to two," said John Ebbott, Legal Action of Wisconsin executive director. "The LSC's theory is that the consolidation will produce improved legal services. That remains to be seen. We also are concerned the merger will cause loss of local control by local clients and board members."

"Legal Action will continue to provide low-income people with free legal services when they have civil legal problems," says Ebbott. "However, severe resource limitations will continue to force Legal Action to limit the types of cases it can accept. Legal Action will continue to focus its resources on handling housing, welfare, and family law cases, with some resources for consumer, unemployment compensation, and education cases. Legal Action will continue to welcome private attorneys from all 39 counties to volunteer for cases pro bono or make financial contributions to the Wisconsin Equal Justice Fund."

For information about Legal Action, visit www.legalaction.org. For more information about the Equal Justice Fund, visit www.ejustice.org or call (262) 522-6836.

Wisconsin Judicare Inc. will continue to provide legal services to counties in northern Wisconsin and will operate as a separate entity with separate funding. For more information, visit www.judicare.org.

IRS announces new standard mileage rates

The optional standard mileage rates for the use of an automobile for business,
charitable, medical, or moving expenses will change, effective Jan. 1. The standard mileage rate for the use of a car:

• for business purposes is 36 cents a mile, down from 36.5 cents a mile in 2002;
  
  
• for medical reasons is 12 cents a mile, down from 13 cents a mile in 2002;
  
  
• when computing deductible moving expenses is 12 cents a mile, down from 13 cents a mile in 2002; and
  
  
• when providing services to a charitable organization remains at 14 cents a mile.

New Asian bar seeks members

Several State Bar Diversity Outreach Committee and Young Lawyers Division members are organizing an Asian Bar Association, which would bring a multicultural perspective to legal matters affecting the Asian community in Wisconsin. Professional development, community service, coalition building, and mentoring are key, long-term organizational goals.

"There is no statewide organization in Wisconsin that currently supports Asian attorneys or Asian legal concerns," says attorney Yer Vang of Madison. "The number of Asian law students in Wisconsin has increased steadily over the past five years, and we expect that trend to continue. Our goal is to have the organization up and running by May 2003."

For more information or to express an interest in joining the association, contact Vang at (608) 255-0539 or yerv@wcadv.org; Alia Rouf at (920) 426-0648 or alia_rouf@hotmail.com; or Alvin Chu at (608) 258-9502 or alvinchu_1817@yahoo.com.

Other Wisconsin minority bar associations

Wisconsin Hispanic Lawyers Association. To join, contact Francisco Araiza at (414) 227-4999 or araizaf@mail.opd.state.wi.us.

Wisconsin Association of African American Lawyers. To join, contact Gregory Wesley at (414) 277-8532, ext. 114, or greg_wesley@gshllp.com.

National Association of Black Women Lawyers - Wisconsin Chapter. To join, contact Sheila M. Parrish at (414) 278-4023 or smps1us@yahoo.com.

Wisconsin Indian Lawyers Association. To join, contact John Niemisto at (608) 424-3949 or jdniemisto@aol.com.

Wisconsin Lawyer