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www.LegalExplorer.com
Navigating the Legal Wilderness
by George C. Brown,
State Bar executive director
Close your eyes. Imagine a compass, a brown fedora and leather bomber
jacket, and wilderness adventures. Now add in the law and legal programs
that have a positive impact on the public and the image of the profession.
What do you have?
LegalExplorer, the State
Bar of Wisconsin's newly launched public Web site.
The first bar association law-related Web site in the country
designed for the general public, LegalExplorer.com provides potential
clients and legal consumers the ability to navigate Wisconsin's legal
system without having to wade through the mountain of information on the
State Bar's award-winning Web site, WisBar.
LegalExplorer provides a cost-effective way to distribute the wealth
of consumer information developed by the various State Bar sections,
committees, and divisions to educate the public about the law. Until
now, the State Bar had no consistent, effective way to get this information
to the public. Information about the State Bar's successful law-related
education programs, such as the high school mock trial program, peer
mediation programs, and various teacher resources, now are available
24 hours a day to lawyers, teachers, students, and the general public.
LRIS online, the State Bar's Lawyer Referral
and Information Service on the Web, gives the public an opportunity to
access an attorney in their area. Potential clients can be referred to
an attorney without having to speak to anyone but retain the option of
talking with a legal assistant at any time during our extended business
hours. If visitors think they might be eligible for free legal services,
they can access the legal services income eligibility guidelines and other
low-cost legal service options. The State Bar's voluminous consumer
education materials are available on LegalExplorer.com, as is information
about the various consumer assistance programs, such as fee arbitration
and the business assistance program. LegalExplorer.com also widens distribution
of public information materials and allows the information to be kept
current without going to the expense of discarding outdated publications.
This Web site expands the State Bar's commitment to public service
and education, one of the hallmarks of a professional association like
the State Bar. It also positions the State Bar of Wisconsin as a credible
source to the public and improves the image of attorneys to the public.
LegalExplorer is the brainchild
of the State Bar's WisBar Oversight Committee working closely with State
Bar staff and numerous consumer-focused committees throughout the Bar.
So, the next time a teacher, student,
or other member of the public needs a compass and a map to navigate Wisconsin's
legal wilderness, LegalExplorer.com is here to help. But, they're on their
own when it comes to the fedora and the leather jacket.
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