The business of public service...
Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) has been described as “the business of public service”. As a public service, LRS helps legal consumers to connect with resources matched to their needs and resources. As a business, the LRS legal assistants screen callers for legal need and ability to pay attorney’s fees, and when appropriate, direct them to our member attorneys.
NOTE: We are especially in need of Spanish speaking attorneys at this time.
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Registration Information
Quality Referrals Made Simple!
Every year, LRS legal assistants field more than 36,000 contacts from members of the public who are seeking legal information and referrals to attorneys. Following a brief screening, the LRS assistants direct callers to appropriate resources:
- An LRS panel attorney
- Government agencies
- Public Service Agencies and Community groups
- Lawyer Hotline
How does LRS work?
When you become an LRS panel member, you choose the areas of practice and the geographic locations for client referrals. Our computerized referral system ensures a more accurate attorney-client match, selected from detailed information provided by you on our registration form. When members of the public contact LRS, we provide referrals to our member attorneys only after a careful screening by experienced legal assistants. Our staff has over 30 years of experience in sympathetic listening and assisting callers in finding the best resources possible. Only one in four callers are referred to an attorney; the remaining callers are given assistance in the form of information, referrals to community or government agencies, or basic legal advice through our
Lawyer Hotline program.
LRS Membership Rates
Join now and your membership is good through June 30,2025
*New Lawyer: lawyer admitted to practice between July 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023
Expand your reach
Your membership in LRS also makes you eligible to participate in LRS Online. Potential clients have access to LRS Online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and there is no additional charge for participation.
We invest in a comprehensive marketing effort to inform clients of our link to your services, including a website directed to members of the public seeking legal services, and publications distributed through the courts, public libraries, and community service agencies. We've also partnered with the Wisconsin Newspaper Association to offer panel members the opportunity to write basic bylined legal columns called “Know Your Legal Rights," offering greater exposure. These columns are offered free of charge to WNA's 200+ members across the state for inclusion in their local newspapers and newspaper websites. In April-December 2022, bylined articles appeared in 215 newspapers.
Take time now to complete our registration form. With your registration, you are automatically included in the LRS online service.
“All attorneys appreciate referrals from any source. The nice thing about a referral from LRS is it’s pre-screened, so we know it’s something we can handle. Overall, you’ve been a good source of referrals for me.”
– Janesville member
“Participation in the LRS panel has been well worth it… Provide good legal services to these clients and you will build your business.”
– Racine member
“Thank you for referring this very interesting and challenging case.”
– Sheboygan member
Contact Us
If you have any questions about LRS, please contact LRS at
LRS@wisbar.org.
