April 7, 2021 – Whether you need to grow your practice with new clients, add a new area of practice, or expand into another market, the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) connects lawyers with prescreened clients who have indicated a willingness and ability to pay.
LRIS is looking for lawyers of all levels of experience for its referral service. Memberships run annually from July 1 to June 30. Join now through June 2022, and receive registration free for April, May, and June this year.
LRIS is “well worth exploring” for any lawyer – new or experienced – to bring clients to his or her door. LRIS “brings me very interesting and diverse business, statewide,” says Steven Jesser, a Wisconsin lawyer headquartered in northern Illinois and a LRIS member.
How LRIS Works
Every year, LRIS legal assistants field more than 20,000 contacts from members of the public who are seeking legal information and referrals to attorneys.
When members of the public contact LRIS, experienced legal assistants conduct a careful screening before referring matters to member attorneys. In 2020, assistants received 20,391 contacts that resulted in 12,471 referrals.
When you become LRIS panel member, you choose the areas of practice – up to 60 specific areas – and the geographic locations for client referrals, and choose whether to receive referrals only by phone, or by phone and online.
Spanish Speakers Needed
LRIS is growing, and our staff now has the ability to field calls from individuals who speak Spanish as their primary language. The service is especially in need of bilingual attorney members to help these clients. Find out more on the Lawyer Referral and Information Service webpage.
LRIS Online Portal
Potential clients have access to LRIS Online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and there is no additional charge for participation. The portal allows panel members to more efficiently track LRIS referrals and manage their memberships.
Accessible from anywhere via an internet connection, the portal allows you to:
- get referrals via email;
- receive automatic case tracking and status reporting;
- keep track of settlement fees and payments;
- submit quarterly reports digitally;
- edit your demographic profile and update your availability to take referrals; and
- renew your LRIS membership and pay online.
How to Join LRIS
For more information and to join, visit the Lawyer Referral and Information Service webpage. There you’ll find membership rates and learn the rules of panel membership.
Registrations renew July 1. Join now through June 2022, and receive registration free for April, May, and June this year. New lawyers receive a further discount off the registration price.
LRIS Membership Rates
*New Lawyer: lawyer admitted to practice between July 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020
