Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. is the largest staff-based provider of civil legal services for low-income Wisconsin persons. Our priorities are based on the most crucial needs of our clients — safe and affordable housing, adequate income and nutrition, access to health care, preservation of the family and protection from domestic violence. Through direct representation and training and education programs, we are helping clients break the cycle of poverty.

INCOME ELIGIBILITY
Click to see if you qualify for assistance from Legal Action.

The Housing unit’s goal is to prevent homelessness and to preserve and expand the availability of affordable housing.  Legal Action represents clients in cases that have the greatest immediate impact on our clients’ ability to secure and maintain safe and affordable housing. 

• Eviction defense 
• Abusive landlord practices 
• Regulations relating to public and subsidized housing 
• Housing conditions and habitability 
• Access to affordable housing


Intake Hours: 

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Milwaukee Downtown Office
Tuesday and Thursday 2 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Telephone at 414-278-7714

Madison Office
Walk-in at 31 South Mills Street
Telephone at 608-256-3304 or 800-362-3904
Monday and Wednesday9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

• Child support and maintenance
• Custody/visitation
• Divorce
• Restraining orders / injunctions
• Debts and property division
• Paternity, annulments and legal separation
• Children in Need of Protection or Services (Milwaukee Downtown office only)
 
Intake Hours: 

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Milwaukee Downtown Office
Telephone only at 414-278-7430
1st and 3rd Wednesdays 8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.

Legal Emergency Assistance Project (Family Violence Emergencies)
LEAP is a collaboration between Legal Action and the Take Force on Family Violence.  The purpose of the project is to provide emergency legal assistance and supportive family services at the same time to families attempting to escape domestic violence.

In case of emergency, call the Milwaukee Police Department or the Task Force on Family Violence at 414-276-1911.

Madison Office
We are only able to take the first 15 callers at 9:00 a.m. on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month.  No Walk-in intake.  Telephone only at 608-256-3258 or 1-800-362-3904

Racine Office
Telephone at 262-635-8836 or 1-800-242-5840
Please call for an appointment to meet with an attorney.

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Public Benefits/Health Law
 
Legal Action's Public Benefits/Health Law unit helps low-income persons obtain and maintain a source of income, achieve access to health insurance or medical care and secure supportive services, such as daycare, job training and educational services, that enable clients to secure employment at a living wage. 

We review all public benefits matters including: Wisconsin Works (W-2) denials, reductions and improper assignments, Food Stamps, Child Care Assistance, Kinship Care, Public Benefit Overpayment Claims and Tax Intercepts, Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid, BadgerCare, Healthy Start, General Assistance Medical Program, and Energy Assistance. 

Intake Hours: 
1.Milwaukee Downtown Office 
   Walk-in at 230 W. Wells Street, Room 800 
   Tuesday and Thursday 1:30 p.m.- 4:30 p.m. 

2. 16th Street Community Health Center 
(By appointment - Call 414-278-7722 to make an appointment) 
    1032 S. 16th Street, Milwaukee 
    1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month (A.M. only) 

NOTE:  Social Security/SSI inquiries must first go through our telephone screening process by calling 414-278-7714 on Tuesday or Thursday from 2:00 p.m.- 4:30p.m before being given an intake interview.

Waukesha County residents
Call 414-549-8729 to make an appointment

Madison Office
Call or Walk-in at 31 South Mills Street
Telephone at 608-256-3304 or 800-362-3904
Mondays 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
 

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Education

Legal Action's education goal is to ensure that low-income children receive adequate and appropriate education in an effort to be free from lifelong poverty. To that end, Legal Action seeks to enforce the requirements of bilingual education laws, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, School-to-Work Act and other laws governing school discipline, teen parents and transitional services.

• Federal and local policy violations
• Expulsion and suspension
• Securing education and training necessary to obtain employment
• Head Start and Birth-to-Three program access
• School lunch program denials
• Assist parents in becoming involved in educational programming and operation of the school system. 


(Representation is limited in this area because of limited resources.)

Intake Hours: 

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Milwaukee Downtown Office
Telephone screening at 414-278-7722
Tuesday and Thursday 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

Madison Office
Walk-in at 31 South Mills Street
Telephone at 608-256-3304 or 800-362-3904
Monday and Wednesday, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.


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Jobs/Economic Development

The Jobs/Economic Development staff provides advice, community education and representation on matters relating to the preservation and development of jobs that pay a living wage.  We focus on those issues which remove legal barriers to employment, improve our clients’ access to jobs paying above the poverty level and increase clients’ control over their economic futures.

• Legal Intervention for Employment (LIFE) project 

Click on the above links for the Legal Intervention for Employment (LIFE) page for specific intake infomation.

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Migrant Project

Legal Action’s Migrant Project focuses on ensuring that migrant farmworkers in Wisconsin receive wages owed them, are not misled in recruiting, are not housed in substandard quarters and receive necessary medical care and public benefits for which they qualify.

• Employment problems, including wages and illegal deductions
• Housing conditions
• Pesticide exposure and other harmful working conditions
• Public benefits, including Medical Assistance

and Food Stamps

Intake Hours: 

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Interviews and intake are done on-site at migrant labor camps throughout Wisconsin.

Migrant farmworkers can also call the Madison office at
1-800-362-3904 anytime during normal business hours,
Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Migrant Project attorneys provide technical support and referrals to private attorneys in cases involving civil rights, workers’ compensation, immigration and income maintenance issues.
 

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SeniorLAW
SeniorLAW provides free benefits assistance to Milwaukee County residents who are 60 and older.  SeniorLAW’s goal is to promote the dissemination of accurate information and to provide quality representation, counseling, education and referral 
services to older adults in Milwaukee County.  The program’s desired outcome is to secure and retain the legal rights and benefits to which older adults are entitled, in a manner which promotes the older person’s dignity and autonomy to the greatest extent possible.
 
• Problems with public benefits, such as Medicare,    Medical Assistance, Social Security, SSI, Food Stamps
• Subsidized housing issues
• Elder abuse and consumer scams
• Guardianship and Power of Attorney
• Medicare + Choice

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Intake Hours: 

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SeniorLAW
Milwaukee Downtown Office
Walk-in at 230 W. Wells Street, Room 800
Tuesday 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. 
Friday 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

Telephone at 414-278-1222
Monday and Tuesday  9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Thursday and Friday 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

 Click here to go to SeniorLAW's web site