Volunteer Opportunities

Please complete this Volunteer Form to receive volunteer opportunities and update your pro bono preferences.  Here are some of our volunteer opportunities:

Eviction Defense Project (EDP)

This Milwaukee County project secures representation in court for tenants facing eviction. Volunteer Lawyers provide the following services: advising tenants on eviction-related issues, negotiating with opposing parties in working out settlement agreements, representing tenants in Small Claims Court in front of a commissioner and/or a judge. The project offers two types of representation opportunities for Volunteer Lawyers:

§  Brief Service - representation on first court hearing in front of a commissioner; and

§  “Lawyer for a Day” - representation at trial or other contested motion hearing.

Volunteer shifts are at the Milwaukee County Courthouse in Room 406 | Monday and Wednesday Afternoons. 

Learn more about the EDP here.

Expungement & Criminal Record Clearing Clinics

This project pairs volunteer lawyers with clients who need help cleaning up their criminal records, to improve access to housing, employment, professional licensing, and community resources.  Criminal records often contain inaccurate or misleading information, as well as expungement-eligible or pardon-eligible offenses. Volunteer lawyers assess these records and provide the client with advice on their options for relief, including expungement and pardon petitions.  We partner with community organizations and technical colleges throughout the state to provide virtual and in-person clinics. 

Legal Action’s Student Legal Aid project collaborates with Lawyers For Learners to improve the education and employment outcomes for students by resolving or mitigating civil legal problems that prevent them from getting a degree, using their degree, or achieving the highest level of occupational credentialing and licensing. 

Consumer Debt Defense

This new limited scope pro bono opportunity in Milwaukee helps protect consumers from unfair debt collection practices.   In many cases, debt buyers cannot prove that they own the debt at issue, that they are collecting from the right person, or that they are collecting the right amount.

Brief Service - At this clinic, volunteer attorneys evaluate collection cases, identify, and prepare documents for negotiating dismissal, and prepare initial discovery requests.  Students from Marquette Law School provide support at the clinic and follow-up assistance to clients.

Volunteer shifts are at the Milwaukee County Courthouse in Room 406 | Wednesday Mornings

Bankruptcy

Volunteers for this clinic meet with low-income clients virtually or by phone to evaluate the cases and provide brief services regarding unresolved debt issues, credit harassment, and bankruptcy eligibility. Students from UW and Marquette Law Schools work with the attorneys during this clinic and provide follow-up assistance to clients. 

Driver's License Recovery Clinic

To resolve civil legal driver’s license problems, volunteer attorneys review the DOT records of clients to provide free legal advice about how the client can reinstate a license or resolve other suspension issues.

The Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC)

Volunteer attorneys and tax professionals can represent LITC clients in resolving tax controversies with the IRS and in Tax Court.   Our expert LITC attorneys are available to provide support as volunteers navigate these cases.  Volunteers will receive referrals for the following services:

·       Return Preparation

·       Examination Response

·       Collection Alternatives

·       Appeals

·       Tax Litigation

Domestic Abuse Injunction (DAI) Project

This project is a limited scope opportunity to represent domestic violence survivors and help them achieve protection.  Appear before the Family Court Commissioners in Milwaukee County for the initial hearing for the Domestic Abuse Injunction.  All clients are referred from Sojourner Family Peace Center and the UMOS Latina Resource Center.

Traditional:  Full scope representation:

The Volunteer Lawyers Project regularly refers cases for full representation.  Our staff is available to provide support as needed.  Some of our high-need case types are: 

·       Security Deposit Return

·       Auto-Fraud (repair and financing)

·       Pardons

·       Wills/Probate

·       Domestic Abuse Injunction

·       Divorce/Placement/Support

Attorneys interested in pro bono opportunities at Legal Action of Wisconsin can sign up via our Volunteer Lawyers Registration form click HERE or visit our website at www.legalaction.org.