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Legislative Committee To Discuss Changes To Low-Income Legal Aid

State Funding Levels For Civil Legal Aid Among Nation's Lowest

By
Kaizer Rangwalda (BY-NC-ND)

State lawmakers will convene a study committee this summer to discuss possible changes to the funding and delivery of civil legal services for low-income populations in Wisconsin.

Victims of domestic violence, predatory lenders and negligent landlords are among those who might seek the help of Wisconsin’s civil legal aid system.

In the last budget, the state Legislature allocated $1 million for civil legal aid. For years, Wisconsin was one of just a few states that provided no funding for the system.

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“There is definitely room for improvement, in terms of funding,” said Kimberly Haas, executive director of Wisconsin Judicare Inc., one of the state’s primary civil legal aid providers. “It’s really about access to justice for low-income individuals.”

Haas is one of 10 citizen members on the committee, which has been tasked with reviewing the need for civil legal services, identifying additional revenue sources and reviewing current operations.

Only 20 percent of low-income individuals who qualify for civil legal aid receive services, according to a 2007 study conducted by the State Bar of Wisconsin.

David Pifer, executive director at Legal Action of Wisconsin, another civil legal aid provider, will also serve on the committee. He said he believes the committee’s creation reflects a growing understanding of the importance of the system.

“There’s a growing recognition that our justice system is broken because low-income individuals do not have equal access to the courts because they are so often unrepresented,” Pifer said.

The study committee is expected to meet for the first time later this month.