June 17, 2009 – The Wisconsin Law Foundation recently awarded $20,000 in grants to law-related programs in Wisconsin.
"The Wisconsin Law Foundation is proud to bestow grants to these programs, which truly epitomize the basis upon which the Foundation is built – to promote the public's understanding of the law and to improve the administration of justice," says Grants Committee Chair Mark A. Pennow. "We commend these organizations for their efforts."
Grants for 2009 were awarded to the following programs:
CentroLegal, $2,000, to expand its Family Law Outreach Project. Founded in 2008, this program educates people who are considering representing themselves in Family Court regarding basic family law issues and common court procedures.
According to Milwaukee attorney, Heather Van Vugt Ramirez, who serves as CentroLegal executive director, “In 2008, CentroLegal focused the Family Law Outreach program on creating the class curriculum and translating it into Spanish. We now have refined the educational materials and have streamlined our presentation style.
“We are so thankful for the grant we recently received from the Wisconsin Law Foundation,” says Ramirez. “We are continuing to seek opportunities to expand our Spanish class offerings, and the grant funds are allowing us to do so. To date, we have offered 23 family law classes – 20 in English and 3 in Spanish. The courses were hosted by nonprofit organizations and community groups and attendance was driven by the host organization’s effort to recruit participants. In 2009, we hope to expand classes to a broader group of nonprofit and community organizations and thus reach a more diverse group of Milwaukee residents. We also will be more proactive in publicizing the classes and will look for opportunities to invite the general public.”
A major milestone achieved in 2008, was the translation of many course materials into Spanish, which will help us to offer more classes for Spanish-speaking and bilingual audiences in the upcoming year,” says Ramirez.
Carmel A. Capati, Court Interpreter Program Manager says, “According to the Migration Policy Institute, between 2000 and 2007, the foreign-born population in Wisconsin has increased 30.1 percent, from 193,751 to 252,150. As a result, there are more families and individuals from other countries appearing in circuit court proceedings with language and other cultural barriers. To ensure equal access, most courts around the state rely on interpreters regularly.
“While Spanish represents about 80 percent of the courts’ language needs for interpretation, the court system as a whole is experiencing an increase in rarer languages requests,” says Capati. “In 2007 and 2008, the court used interpreters of at least 40 different languages. Locating trained and qualified interpreters for less common languages has been problematic for courts. On occasion, the courts have brought interpreters from other states at considerable expense or have set matters over because of an inability to locate a qualified interpreter.”
Waukesha County 180˚ Juvenile Diversion Program, $2,000, to help 14-20 year old youths that commit a first-time misdemeanor or low-level felony who decide to turn their lives around and begin a new path.
During the nine-month Waukesha County 180˚ Juvenile Diversion Program, participants attend classes that address many of the criminogenic factors leading to delinquent behavior. Participants meet for two to three hours two nights a week for 14 weeks, which is followed by six months of case management, similar to probation, and a commitment to 40 hours of community service. Upon completion of the program, charges may be dropped or reduced at the discretion of the district attorney.
Clients are referred to the program from the District Attorney’s Office, Health and Human Services, State Public Defender, courts, police officers, lawyers, and parents. For more information about this program, call (262) 548-7780.
About the Foundation. The Wisconsin Law Foundation is the charitable arm of the State Bar of Wisconsin and is dedicated to enhancing the law through education and service. Foundation membership is open to all Wisconsin-licensed lawyers. General membership begins with a $50 donation. Gifts for less than $50 qualify you as Friend of the Wisconsin Law Foundation.
Joining is easy. You can make your annual donation when you receive your State Bar membership statement, which is mailed in the spring and is due to the State Bar by July 1. If you haven’t mailed your statement yet, simply mark the Foundation box on your State Bar membership statement and include your donation.
