May 6, 2020 – As you tackle the challenges of remote work amid these uncertain times, a State Bar service can help bring clients to your virtual doorstep. Just one call can put you in touch with the clients who need you – and in the time of coronavirus, more people will need legal help.

Whether you need to grow your practice with new clients, add a new area of practice, or expand into another market, the State Bar’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) connects lawyers with prescreened clients who have indicated a willingness and ability to pay.

LRIS staff typically screen more than 30,000 phone calls each year. In 2019, those calls resulted in a total of 16,896 potential client referrals to LRIS panel member attorneys. In the past three weeks, LRIS staff began receiving calls in response to the pandemic emergency, including questions on evictions, labor and employment, estate planning, and family placement matters.

LRIS is looking for lawyers of all levels of experience for its reference service. Memberships run annually from July 1 to June 30. Join now through June 2021, and receive registration free for May and June this year.

A Win-win

The LRIS service is a win-win for both clients and attorneys, says LRIS Committee chair Adam Finkel of Milwaukee "LRIS is the connection between people who need legal representation and attorneys looking to increase their client base," Finkel said. "LRIS offers attorneys an easy way to serve the public, but also is ideal for attorneys looking for a cost-effective way to market their services."

Attorneys are especially needed in Wisconsin’s northern counties, but attorneys statewide are encouraged to register for the service. While the highest percentages of callers need administrative, consumer, criminal, family, real property, torts, labor, bankruptcy, estate planning, and business law help, LRIS seeks attorneys in all practice areas.

How LRIS Works

As a public service, LRIS helps legal consumers to connect with resources matched to their needs and resources. Your membership and referral fees support this valuable program. State Bar LRIS specialists screen callers for legal need and the ability to pay an attorney’s fees and, when appropriate, direct them to LRIS panel member attorneys.

Lawyers who join as a LRIS panel member and pay the registration cost can request referrals in up to 60 specific areas of practice. Registrations renew on July 1, and those who register through June 2022 can receive 10 percent off the cost of registration. New lawyers receive a further discount off the registration price.

LRIS panel members may choose whether to receive referrals only by phone, or by phone and online.

Join Now and Receive Special Discounts

• Pay the yearly $125 fee now for registration through June 30, 2021 – and get May and June 2020 registration at no extra cost.

• Pay $225 for two years (through June 30, 2022) and save 10 percent.

• Lawyers admitted to practice between July 1, 2018, and Dec. 31, 2019, can join for $105 for registration through June 30, 2021.

• Lawyers admitted to the State Bar in 2020 can join for $60 through June 30, 2021.

Visit the Lawyer Referral and Information (LRIS) webpage on WisBar.org for more information and to join.