Oct. 5, 2022 – Whether you want to grow your practice with new clients, add a new area of practice, or expand into another market, the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) connects lawyers with prescreened clients willing and able to pay for your legal services.

LRIS is looking for lawyers of all levels of experience for its referral service. Memberships run annually from July 1 to June 30 – and the one-year membership is now 25% off the annual rate.

“LRIS is ideal for attorneys who are new to a region or an area of law and those looking to develop a book of business,” says Steven Krueger of Green Bay, chair of the LRIS committee.

LRIS is a great way for lawyers to gain experience in a specific area of practice – lawyers choose to receive referrals only in the practice areas they prefer.

“The service is a great way to establish a focus,” Krueger said. “You can choose to answer calls in only the specific areas of law in which you have an interest.”

In addition, the service encourages lawyers who speak Spanish to join. “Our staff now has the ability to field calls from individuals who speak Spanish as their primary language. The service is especially in need of bilingual attorney members to help these clients,” said Krueger.

LRIS is also a resource when lawyers are scarce – such as in rural communities. “Legal services can be inaccessible to people for a number of reasons. LRIS offers attorneys the ability to bridge service gaps in their communities and provide valuable access to quality legal services that might otherwise be out of reach,” Krueger said.

How LRIS Works

Every year, LRIS legal assistants field more than 36,000 contacts from members of the public who are seeking legal information and referrals to attorneys.

When members of the public contact LRIS, experienced legal assistants conduct a careful screening before referring matters to member attorneys. In the fiscal year 2021-22, assistants received 36,469 contacts that resulted in 11,214 referrals.

When you become a LRIS panel member, you choose the areas of practice – up to 60 specific areas – and the geographic locations for client referrals, and choose whether to receive referrals only by phone, or by phone and online.

“It is very important to choose those specific areas in your profile,” Krueger said. “That way, our staff knows who to send your way.”

LRIS Online Portal

Panel members have access to LRIS Online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and there is no additional charge for participation. The portal allows panel members to more efficiently track LRIS referrals and manage their memberships.

Accessible from anywhere via an internet connection, the portal allows you to:

• get referrals via email;

• receive automatic case tracking and status reporting;

• keep track of settlement fees and payments;

• submit quarterly reports digitally;

• edit your demographic profile and update your availability to take referrals; and

• renew your LRIS membership and pay online.

New for LRIS Panel Members: Showcase your Legal Knowledge Statewide

LRIS is partnering with the Wisconsin Newspaper Association to produce and distribute a new legal column – “Know Your Legal Rights” – to its 200+ member media outlets across the state.

Panel members are invited to serve as a subject matter experts by writing for this column (500 to 800 words). Stories may appear in print, online, or both in publications across the state.

Examples of topics include:

• My Neighbor’s Tree Damaged my Fence, What are my Legal Rights?

• The Legal Rights of Residential Tenants May Vary by County

• My New Car is a Lemon, What are my Legal Rights?

• Why Parents Need a Will to Establish Legal Guardians

• Recreational Immunity: Laws May Protect Landowners from Snowmobile Accidents

A great example is the article "How do I file an action in small claims court?" by Waukesha attorney Angela Knight.

“We believe this is an excellent PR opportunity for participating members and will be a great service to Wisconsin residents looking for topical legal help,” said Katie Wilcox, State Bar customer and consumer services manager.

Know that:

• Interested authors will be provided a copy of their writing guidelines and tips, an editorial calendar with deadlines for each topic, and a sample article.

• Authors will be selected on a first come, first served basis. If you are interested in writing for more than one topic, please indicate your first, second, third etc. choices.

• This is free!

Please contact Mike Wiltse, State Bar public relations specialist, mwiltse@wisbar.org or (608) 354-6385, to indicate your interest or ask questions.

How to Join LRIS

For more information and to join, visit the LRIS webpage. There you’ll find membership rates and learn the rules of panel membership.

Registrations renew July 1. New lawyers receive a discount off the registration price.

*New Lawyer: lawyer admitted to practice between July 1, 2021, and December 31, 2022