By Andrea Gage, Public Relations Coordinator, State Bar of Wisconsin
July 11, 2012--On Tuesday, July 24 at 4:00 p.m., the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission is hosting a
community hearing in Green Bay to gather information from the public on the challenges facing low-income residents when they need legal help.
The
Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission was created by the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the State Bar of Wisconsin to help expand access to the civil justice system for low-income Wisconsin residents. The hearing is designed to increase awareness and give community members an opportunity to help identify needs and close what organizers call the “justice gap.”
“There are hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites each year who face civil legal matters alone without the assistance of an attorney, even when they are facing a party in court who does have a lawyer. This is truly a justice gap,” said Access to Justice Commission member Maury Rice. “Navigating the court system without help can be very detrimental, affecting a family’s health, housing, and the custody of their children. It is also harmful to our justice system, resulting in loss of faith in the courts and inefficient delivery of justice.”
The Green Bay hearing is the first in a series of events planned by the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission. Community hearings will also take place in
Eau Claire, Madison and Milwaukee. Commission members say there is an urgent need to hear from residents statewide.
“We need to do something before further damage is done to the system and so many of our fellow Wisconsinites,” said Rice.
