Innovations might improve access to legal assistance

By Brigid Moroney, Intern

A project that would connect people in rural areas to pro bono legal assistance via the Internet is one possible Wisconsin innovation to emerge from the 2009 Wisconsin Equal Justice Conference held April 28 in Madison.

During the conference, District Ten Court Administrator Scott K. Johnson moderated a panel discussion on rural access to justice. The discussion highlighted innovative methods of connecting rural residents with legal help and also addressed tribal justice systems in northern Wisconsin.

"Based on what I learned at the conference," Johnson said, "The Tenth District is now exploring a collaborative partnership with the State Bar and Judicare to develop a pilot program in which pro bono Internet representation would be provided to rural litigants."

The rural assistance pilot is just one effort that was highlighted at the conference, whose theme was "Innovative Initiatives & Creative Collaborations." The conference explored how lawyers, courts, and other organizations in Wisconsin and elsewhere are ensuring civil equal justice for disadvantaged people and communities, and what must yet be done to provide equal justice under law. The State Bar's Legal Assistance Committee organized the event.

Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson opens the 2009 Wisconsin Equal Justice Conference.

Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson opened the conference with remarks about the strides of Wisconsin's court system in continuing its commitment to equal justice for all Wisconsin residents.

"Implicit in the idea of 'justice' is that it should be fair and accessible, and we're working to improve our court system to satisfy that goal," Abrahamson said.

Following the welcome, participants tackled a wide range of issues including pro bono partnerships and collaborations, unbundling of legal services, pro se models for improving access to justice, and expanding access to legal assistance to rural areas.

State Pro Se Coordinator Ann Zimmerman highlighted Wisconsin's court-based programming for self-represented litigants, while Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Mary E. Triggiano moderated the session on unbundling and pro se models for improving access to justice. The session focused on how unbundling legal services (offering limited-scope legal representation), along with courthouse self-help services, can provide greater access to justice.

"By providing self-represented litigants with the tools and information they need," Triggiano said, "we are improving their access to justice." Triggiano is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin Legal Assistance Committee, along with La Crosse County Circuit Court Judge Ramona Gonzalez, who also attended the conference.

Afternoon breakout sessions addressed patient and advocate partnerships for access to health care, pro bono work as part of the transition to retirement, and the connectivity between having a driver's license and employability.

The conference closed with remarks from Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Richard J. Sankovitz, a member of the Milwaukee Bar Association's Legal Services to the Indigent Committee.

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