Thank you for making LRIS a part of your overall marketing strategy. The State Bar of Wisconsin Lawyer Referral and Information Services (LRIS) was created in 1978 as a resource for the public to find connections to Wisconsin attorneys. The ABA describes LRIS programs as being in “the business of public service” – that is, good for lawyers and good for clients.
LRIS specialists screen our callers for legal need and the ability to pay an attorney’s fees and, when appropriate, we direct them to our member attorneys. As a public service, LRIS helps legal consumers to connect with resources matched to their needs and resources. Your membership and referral fees support this valuable program.
Over the past 5 years, LRIS referrals have generated $9,812,830.00 in fees for our member attorneys.
What Callers Say About LRIS:
“Thank you for providing the lawyer referral program. It is very intimidating to look for a lawyer when you don't know who can help you. It was a great experience and it made me feel like I wasn't throwing a dart at a phone book to pick a lawyer. Can't thank everyone involved enough.”
“The attorney seemed to have good knowledge of my issue, and called me back very promptly. I would definitely use the service again and hire the attorney I was referred to.”
“The lawyer you referred me to is great!”
“I was very happy with your service and feel that you found me the right attorney for what I need.”
LRIS Committee and Staff
LRIS is governed by a special committee of the State Bar. The Chairperson and members of the committee are designated by the State Bar President for a term of one year.
The LRIS committee meets twice per year in person, and as needed by telephone or email, to discuss the program direction and planning, review current financials and strategies, and to resolve questions regarding the panel rules and referral fee payments. The committee is responsible to drafting updates to the panel rules and for enforcing the rules when needed.
In 2016, the LRIS committee revisited a frequent member request regarding including telephone numbers with other client information in the referral email sent to panel members. The committee agreed to a change in procedures to allow for the inclusion of telephone numbers. Callers will be informed that their telephone number will be provided to the referred attorney, and that the attorney may contact them. If a caller prefers not to give a telephone number, or to receive a call from the attorney, a referral will be given, but no number will be entered on the referral or show up in the email to the attorney.
LRIS is managed by Patricia Ruppert, State Bar Member Services Manager, and staffed by a skilled team of referral specialists, allowing calls to be answered efficiently and helpfully. We are happy to assist you with any questions that you might have about your participation in LRIS. Over the past year, our referral specialists have taken more than 23,000 calls from people seeking legal help. On average, only 20% of those calls are referred to our member attorneys – the rest are sent to community or government agencies, given basic information on finding resources, or directed to our Lawyer Hotline program.
LRIS Membership
Areas of Practice
LRIS makes referrals in over 250 specific areas of legal practice. The most common areas of practice for cases generating fees for our member attorneys are:
- Family law – divorce, custody, child support, and visitation
- Criminal law – misdemeanors, traffic offenses, OWI, drug offenses, and felonies
- Bankruptcy – Chapters 7 & 13, foreclosure defense
- Property law – residential property transactions, property litigation
- Probate law – simple wills and estates planning, probate litigation
- Consumer law – including insurance policy disputes, small claims, and landlord/tenant issues
- Administrative law – Social Security, unemployment, and worker's compensation claims
Fee generating referrals have also been accepted for such diverse areas of practice as: livestock damage, gaming, timber rights, nursing home injuries, and stockbroker malpractice.
LRIS has panel members who will take cases in all 72 Wisconsin counties.
Some counties which are remote or sparsely populated do not have an attorney in that county but are covered by an attorney from an adjoining county.
Tips on Referrals
1. When a referral is given to an LRIS client, the client is directed to notify your office that they have been referred through Lawyer Referral. In addition, you will receive notification of the referral by email (usually within one half hour of the referral), or if you prefer, by postal mail. When the client contacts you, or if 30 days have passed without contact, please reply to the email or paper notification to inform our office of the referral disposition. The charge for the first half-hour consultation with LRIS clients should not exceed $20.
2. Each quarter, LRIS will send you a Quarterly Report of Referrals. The report will include a list of all referrals made to you which are Accepted, Pending, or have no disposition indicated. Referrals which have a disposition of No Contact, Office Visit, or Phone Consult will remain open for 6 months, as it has been our experience that clients often wait before making an appointment with the referred attorney.
3. For all referrals that have generated fees of $200 or more, LRIS collects a percentage fee of 10% on the entire amount collected. Referral fees should be returned with the quarterly report. Once a case is completed, and no additional fees are due, we will close the case in our files.
4. If you are contacted by a client who is referred by LRIS, and you choose not to accept the client’s case, please refer the client back to LRIS for follow-up. The LRIS telephone number is 1-800-362-9082.
Lawyer Hotline
Lawyer Hotline is a volunteer legal service for members of the public to get answers to simple legal questions. By taking a few minutes to share some basic legal information over the telephone, you can steer people in the right direction – and toward informed decisions. Calls are returned by Hotline attorneys once per week, usually on Wednesday evenings, but call back times are flexible. Most questions involve small claims court, landlord/tenant issues, and some simple probate and traffic law problems.
Over the past year, local bar associations, law firms, and the legal staff from a Madison business have answered calls for more than 500 Wisconsin residents needing basic legal information and advice.
If your firm or local bar association would be interested in participating in Lawyer Hotline, there are a few dates still open in 2017. Please contact Pat Ruppert at 1-800-444-9404 x6131 for more information.
Lawyer Hotline Attorney & Firm of the Year Award Winners
Each year, the LRIS Committee awards an individual or law firm with an award for continued service to the Lawyer Hotline program. In 2016, the Hotline Attorneys of the Year award was presented to the Door County Bar Association for their years of service to this important public service program. Congratulations!
Have questions? We’ve got answers!
What happens after a client is referred to me?
When a referral is given to an LRIS client, the client is directed to notify your office that they have been referred through Lawyer Referral. In addition, you will receive notification of the referral by email - usually within 30 minutes of the referral. (You can opt to be notified by postal mail if you prefer).
When the client contacts you, or if 30 days have passed without contact, please reply to the email or paper notification to inform our office of the referral's disposition. Keep in mind that the charge for the first half-hour consultation with LRIS clients should not exceed $20.
How can I keep track of my referrals from LRIS?
Every quarter, LRIS will send you a Quarterly Report of Referrals. It includes a list of all referrals made to you that are in a status of Accepted, Pending, or have no disposition indicated. Referrals with a disposition of No Contact, Office Visit, or Phone Consult will remain open for 6 months, as it has been our experience that clients often wait before making an appointment with the referred attorney.
What fee percentage goes to LRIS?
For all referrals that generate fees of $200 or more, LRIS collects a percentage fee of 10% on the entire amount collected. Referral fees should be returned with the quarterly report. Once a case is completed and no additional fees are due, we will close the case in our files.
What if I don’t accept a referred client’s case?
If you are contacted by a client who is referred by LRIS and you choose not to accept the client's case, please refer the client back to LRIS for follow-up. The LRIS telephone number is 1-800-362-9082.
Lawyer Referral and Information Service Committee and Staff
LRIS is governed by a special committee of the State Bar. The Chairperson and members of the committee are designated by the State Bar President for one-year terms.
Chairperson
Atty. Adam Ronald Finkel, Milwaukee
Vice Chairperson
Atty. Mark A. Pennow, Green Bay
Committee Members
Atty. Christina Balistreri, Milwaukee
Atty. Janice N. Bensky , Madison
Atty. Zachary Kluck, Madison
Atty. Justin H. Lessner, Madison
Atty. DeAngela Luna, Milwaukee
Atty. Laura Skilton Verhoff, Madison
Atty. Nancy L. Wilson, Madison
Atty. Kashoua Yang, Milwaukee
BOG Liaison
Atty. Ryan Blay
LRIS is managed by Patricia Ruppert, State Bar Member Services Manager, and staffed by a skilled team
of referral specialists dedicated to answering calls efficiently and helpfully.
LRIS - Patricia Ruppert, Member Services Manager
(608) 250-6131
State Bar of Wisconsin
(800) 362-9082 | (608) 257-3838
Lawyer Referral and Information Service 2017 Panel Member Update is published by the
State Bar of Wisconsin, 5302 Eastpark Blvd., Madison, WI, 53718-2101, (800) 728-7788.
