Legal Assistance Committee
The Legal Assistance Committee promotes the establishment and maintenance of organizations that provide legal services to low- and moderate-income individuals. It explores new ways to increase the accessibility of legal services. The committee provides encouragement and assistance to others in improving legal services delivery while promoting pro bono service to Wisconsin lawyers as a way to give back.
To that end, the Legal Assistance Committee recognizes attorneys and organizations for their outstanding pro bono services through the
Pro Bono Attorney/Organization of the Year Awards.
Rural Access to Justice, Inc. of Waupaca is the recipient of the Pro Bono Organization of the Year Award. Rural Access to Justice (RAJ) is a small nonprofit firm serving Wisconsin’s underserved communities through the private sector. Led by attorneys Robert Forseth and Amanda Forseth, RAJ covers a wide range of legal matters and services and routinely accepts pro bono and reduced rate cases from Judicare Legal Aid. RAJ also offers sliding-scale services to clients based on their ability to pay, including reduced fees for clients who might not qualify for Judicare Legal Aid, the State Bar modest means program, or a public defender.
RAJ has taken more than sixty Judicare cases in the last five years and in 2022, opened almost 200 new client matters, increasing their time and focus spent on family law cases – an area of law that’s especially starved for attorneys in many counties.
In her nomination letter, Paige Juel of Judicare Legal Aid writes: “Judicare considers both attorneys Robert and Amanda Forseth to be incredible allies in the fight to assist all Wisconsinites in need of crucial legal services.” Juel credits RAJ as a “model example for other attorneys on how to fill concerning gaps in the legal market.”
