Client needs going unmet: Attorneys needed for referral
service
Every year, more than 1,000 clients with
qualified legal needs are unable to obtain a referral to an attorney
through the State Bar's Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS)
because there are no LRIS panel attorneys in the counties where callers
need help.
"New sophisticated software enables us to pinpoint the counties in
need of LRIS panel attorneys," says committee chair Brian Smigelski. "We
want to increase our service to these underrepresented areas, and to do
that, we must expand our pool of LRIS panelists."
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LRIS needs attorneys in rural
counties
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Attorneys statewide are encouraged to register for LRIS. Expert
advisers in all types of practice are needed - particularly in family
and criminal law. Attorneys are needed urgently in the following
counties.
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- Adams
- Bayfield
- Buffalo
- Burnett
- Calumet
- Crawford
- Door
- Florence
- Forest
- Iron
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- Juneau
- Kewaunee
- Lafayette
- Marinette
- Menominee
- Pepin
- Richland
- Rusk
- Vernon
- Waushara
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Attorneys are especially needed in the state's more rural counties
(see inset); however, attorneys statewide are encouraged to register for
the service. While the highest percentages of callers need family or
criminal law help, LRIS seeks attorneys in all practice areas.
"Lawyers who register can join two pools of referrals - phone and
Internet," says Smigelski. "It's a win-win situation for both clients
and attorneys. LRIS offers a valuable public service and a way for
attorneys to build their client base."
Web and phone referrals are at an all-time high. Web referrals
account for more than 40 percent of the total referrals made, yet the
Web site's existence has not decreased the number of phone calls to the
service, which remains at more than 40,000 annually.
Experienced legal assistants listen to and evaluate callers' needs
and then refer them to an attorney, a community or government resource,
or the Lawyer Hotline, or simply try to answer a basic question.
Lawyer participation in the Internet service is optional and included
with LRIS registration at no additional charge. Users access LRIS
through LegalExplorer.com, the State Bar's consumer site, and receive
referrals by selecting a legal practice area and geographic location. As
with LRIS's telephone referral service, online referrals are made on an
impartial, county-by-county, rotation basis. Clients contact attorneys
directly to set up an appointment, and LRIS sends the attorney related
paperwork via conventional mail.
The LRIS fee is $95 for attorneys practicing for more than three
years, $75 for attorneys practicing between one and three years, and $45
for attorneys in their first year of practice. Attorneys who register
now will receive free service through June. To register for the period
July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006, contact Patricia Ruppert at (800)
444-9404, ext. 6171, (608) 250-6171, or pruppert@wisbar.org. For more
information about LRIS, visit www.wisbar.org/lris.
