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Lawyer Referral and Information Service

If you need help with a legal issue, the State Bar of Wisconsin's Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) is a good place to start. You can search for an attorney through our website, or you can speak to a legal assistant by calling (800) 362-9082.

Attorneys - if you are looking for information about joining LRIS, please cl​ick here.

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How the Service Works

We’re here to help you figure out if you need a lawyer, and how to proceed if you do. When you call the service, you will not get legal advice. However, you will talk to a legal assistant who is experienced in analyzing potential legal problems – and in helping you locate the best source of help.

After speaking with an LRIS legal assistant, you may decide that you need to hire an attorney. If so, we can refer you to an attorney in your area who has indicated an interest in your type of legal situation. Attorneys referred through LRIS agree to charge no more than $20 for the first 30 minutes of the consultation.

In some cases, you will resolve your legal issue at the first meeting. If your problem requires work beyond the first half-hour, you will be charged the lawyer’s regular fees.

How to Find a Referral

Call Us: You can reach LRIS by phone at (800) 362-9082 or (608) 257-4666 (in Dane County and outside of Wisconsin). We are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

LRIS Online: Our online service is available 24 hours per day. You can search for an attorney by geographical location and areas of legal practice.

Schedule an Appointment with your Attorney

After you receive your referral, call the attorney's office to schedule an appointment. Be sure to tell the attorney that you were referred by the State Bar's Lawyer Referral and Information Service. This ensures that your initial half-hour consultation fee will be no more than $20. At the first meeting, ask the lawyer about what fees you will be charged after the first half-hour initial consultation. If you decide not to take further action after the first visit, you are under no obligation to hire the lawyer.

About the Service

LRIS is a public service to help identify the most appropriate resource for consumers with legal problems. State Bar of Wisconsin members may opt to pay an annual fee to be on a panel of attorneys who receive referrals. Panel members agree to charge no more than $20 for the first 30 minutes of consultation and to pay LRIS a referral fee of 10 percent of any fee over $200 that they collect from referrals. Panel members may not increase their fees to cover any part of the LRIS membership or referral fee. Panel members may accept referrals in any field of law in which they consider themselves competent. LRIS does not warrant that panel attorneys have any special expertise in the area of law for which a client was referred.