Inside the Bar
May 2007
Equal Justice conferees discuss problems in Wisconsin's
civil justice system
On March 16, more than 200 Wisconsin lawyers, judges, advocates, and
concerned citizens attended the Wisconsin Equal Justice Conference to
discuss the
present and future state of Wisconsin's civil justice system. The
all-day
conference, held in Milwaukee, was organized by the State Bar Legal
Assistance Committee
and hosted by Marquette University Law School.
The State Bar's Access to Justice Study Committee's recent report,
"Bridging the Justice Gap: Wisconsin's Unmet Legal Needs,"
was a springboard for
much discussion.
Judge Richard Sankovitz, the committee chair, gave the conferees an
overview of the report and its recommendations on what courts, law
schools,
government, and the State Bar can do together to address the problem.
Conference sessions were offered on the role of law schools, courts,
service delivery methods, funding strategies, and coalition building
approaches in
other states. Attendees also had a chance to begin the discussion on
setting goals
for the future. They agreed that it was important to develop a more
formal
coalition to support access to justice efforts and to support the
proposed $1 million
in initial state funding for civil legal services to poor people that
was
included in Gov. Doyle's budget for the next biennium.
Highlights of the day were addresses from Wisconsin Supreme
Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson, Washington State Chief Justice
Gerry Alexander, and the Hon. Deborah Hankinson, chair of the ABA
Standing
Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defense.
Hankinson, in her keynote address, reflected on her time on the
Texas
Supreme Court, noting, "The best of intentions don't necessarily
lead to the best
of results. At one point, we had leaders of the legal services
community
pursuing one set of strategies, leaders of the Bar pursuing another,
and government
mostly standing by and watching." She left attendees with the
key ingredients
that led to significant change in many states, including Texas,
Washington, and
Wisconsin's Midwestern neighbors: a broad partnership, leadership,
formal access
to justice structures, and strategic vision, along with improved
communication
and funding.
The State Bar Board of Governors will discuss the Access to Justice
Study Committee's recommendations at its May meeting. Read the committee's full
report.
