Civil Chamber: Advice, representation and resolution of civil law issues affecting individuals and families with limited incomes. (Financial stability) Right to Attorney Milwaukee: Provides a right to free legal representation during evictions for families with children in Milwaukee County. (Safe and stable homes) The Charter established a not-for-profit organization with an independent board. Virtually all of the funds in the first half-century came from the Central Council (the forerunner of today`s United Way). The original staff, headed by Superintendent Alma C. Schlesinger, consisted of two social workers, two secretaries, and an outside legal counsel from the law firm of Hannan, Johnson & Goldschmidt. The company`s independent background is reflected in its early decision to represent soldiers who went to France during the First World War free of charge, while also offering military service advice to young men who wanted to avoid military service. [3] From the beginning, its leaders shared a broad vision that included both individual representation and broader advocacy for reform of repressive laws and discriminatory practices. For example, the company was instrumental in the creation of the first Small Claims Court in Wisconsin (1921) and in the drafting of a model law on the collection of wage claims (1924). Society leaders have also played an important role in national legal assistance efforts.
Milwaukee attorney William Kaumheimer, the society`s first president, was elected president of the National Association of Legal Aid Organizations in 1928. [4] We provide high-quality, personalized legal services to every client we serve. We also focus on legal work with a broader scope that targets systemic changes that help more people achieve a decent quality of life. 521 North Eighth Street Milwaukee, WI 53233 414.727.5300 lasmilwaukee.com The Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee is one of the oldest continuously operating law firms in the United States providing free legal services to the poor. Its creation was proposed in a 1910 letter from Professor John R. Commons, a renowned economist at the University of Wisconsin, to Victor L. Berger, Milwaukee City Councilman and Chairman of the Socialist Party. [1] When successive bills failed in the legislatures of 1911, 1913 and 1915, fundamental efforts shifted to the private sphere. In the fall of 1915, representatives from the Milwaukee Bar Association, the City Club, and the Central Council of Social Agencies joined forces to form the Milwaukee Legal Aid Society.
It was founded on February 25, 1916 with the mission of “doing all that is necessary to prevent injustice.” [2] Legal aid offices will be closed on Monday, January 17, 2022 to mark Martin Luther King Junior Day. […] The purpose of this website is to educate our customers, potential customers and their families and friends about our services and their access. We thank all our donors, volunteers and supporters. Thank you for helping us serve our community. Governor Evers, County Executive Crowley and Mayor Johnson visit Legal Aid`s Eviction Free MKE team to learn more about housing services available to Milwaukee County residents. The company received a grant from the Ford Foundation in 1969 to establish a pilot office for public defense attorneys in Milwaukee County Criminal Courts. This initiative led to the creation of the State`s first public defense program, which in turn led to the establishment of the State Public Defender`s Office in 1978. [7] In 1980, the Society entered into an agreement with Milwaukee County to represent abused, neglected and dependent children in family and juvenile courts. However, the county`s funding hasn`t stopped the company from suing Milwaukee County in a number of cases involving psychiatric incarceration, substandard conditions at the child and adolescent treatment center, and prison overcrowding. [8] Despite threats to terminate district contracts for its ad litem projects for public defenders and guardians, the company stuck to the independent path followed by its founders.
[9] Vielmetti, Bruce. “The Legal Aid Society ushers in the second century.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, February 25, 2016. King, Fred A. Free Legal Aid. Milwaukee: Milwaukee Bureau of Economy & Efficiency, Bulletin No. 7, 1911. Housing SOS: Assists a housing lawyer who prevents eviction applications by handling issues prior to filing. (Safe and stable homes) This lack of justice threatens the most basic human needs of many low-income people: food, shelter, health care and personal safety. The Legal Aid Society stands in solidarity with people of colour against police brutality. The Great Depression and World War II led to a reduction in resources and a mission necessarily booby-trapped. However, when Congress created the Office of Economic Opportunity`s legal services program in 1965, Milwaukee`s Society won one of the first grants. [5] This dramatic increase in funding led to the opening of offices in the North and South Wards in 1966, as well as the filing of the first class action lawsuit on behalf of the poor, a successful constitutional lawsuit in 1967 in federal court that struck down residency requirements for welfare recipients.
[6] The case was later cited with the approval of the U.S. Supreme Court. The Legal Aid Society is closed for the Thanksgiving holiday from Thursday, November 25 to Sunday, November 28. We […] Our priority areas of activity and special projects include: social benefits and health programs, family law, housing law, licensing, criminal records and employment, elder rights, migrant workers, social security and the DOS project.