The Milwaukee Post

6 • Milwaukee Post • September 27, 2013 Clinic: Partnership stems from partnership in honor of lawyer's pro bono work continued from Page 1 sit with an attorney, ask questions, hear options and understand what next steps to take helps to ease a client's mind and offers direction in an uncertain situation." The bus made its first appearance Sept. 21 at the John C. Cudahy YMCA, 9050 N. Swan Blvd. (formerly 91st Street). It will return to that site Oct. 19, Nov. 16 and Dec. 12. Ferwerda said organizers hope to expand to additional weekends each month in other locations within Milwaukee County in 2014. Volunteers offering their services will provide advice on civil issues only. "It is difficult to tell what particular legal issues will be most common, though we anticipate having a number of family law, small claims and landlord-tenant questions," Ferwerda said. "As with the implementation of any new project, we do anticipate Ferwerda smaller numbers of clients for the first few clinics, with growing attendance as word of mouth grows within the community." In fact, the services offered will be similar to what is offered at the MJC on Thursday and Friday afternoons. "In conjunction with the Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinics, we offer free, brief legal advice on most civil matters, including family law, landlord-tenant issues, small claims, large claims, and credit and consumer questions," Ferwerda said of the MJC efforts. "Clients who currently are unrepresented will be able to sit with a volunteer attorney and a law student to receive answers to questions, legal advice and referral information. We do not provide ongoing representation but can offer information on how to retain an attorney, if needed. "Additionally, we will provide assistance with family law self-help forms." The Milwaukee Justice Center itself was developed as a collaborative project involving Marquette University Law School, the Milwaukee Bar Association and Milwaukee County. Joseph D. Kearney, dean of Marquette Law School, said the Mobile Legal Clinic reflects the service-oriented mission of Marquette University Law School and the larger legal profession. "By helping those who may not otherwise be able to obtain professional legal counsel, and by doing so in their commu- At a glance For more information: ■ Visit the Milwaukee Justice Center website at http://milwaukee.gov/MJC/ServicesHoursLocatio n.htm ■ Visit the Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinics website at http://law.marquette.edu/mvlc/brieflegal-advice-and-referral-services-throughoutcommunity. nities, the Mobile Legal Clinic will fill a gap in this region," he said. "It will also enable our students, working with attorneys and members of the community, to gain experience and develop an ethic of service." The Mobile Legal Clinic was made possi- Kearney ble by a gift from Frank Daily and Julianna Ebert to honor the pro bono work of Mike Gonring, their friend and longtime partner at Quarles & Brady. "Mike had a vision of a bus, which could reach people unable to get to the courthouse or other locations offering Gonring free legal services," Ebert said. "Frank and I worked with Mike and other dedicated people at the Justice Center, Law School and Milwaukee Bar to make Mike's vision a reality. Frank and I could not think of a better way to honor Mike's commitment to pro bono work." The goal of this project is to bring the services provided by the Milwaukee Justice Center out to isolated neighborhoods where it is difficult for those residents to reach the current self-help and free legal clinics provided in the downtown and near-downtown areas. It is hoped the Mobile Legal Clinic will inspire today's lawyers – and tomorrow's – to follow Gonring's example of providing pro bono legal help to people in need. "In the access to justice field, we have to dream big dreams, because the problems are so large," Gonring said. "Ninetynine times out of 100 the dream will not come true because of lack of resources, but sometimes it will. The model of a mobile legal clinic is one of those things that folks involved in access to justice issues dreamed about for years. I am very grateful to Frank and Julie for ensuring that it actually will happen, and I look forward to the work that Marquette Law School and the Milwaukee Bar Association can do through the Milwaukee Justice Center's Mobile Legal Clinic." Initially, the Mobile Legal Clinic will be staffed primarily by attorneys from the law firm Michael Best & Friedrich, LLP, together with Marquette University law students. MJC sees big increase in residents seeking legal help By KEVIN PASSON Special to The Post MILWAUKEE –The Milwaukee Justice Center utilizes volunteers to address the unmet legal needs of Milwaukee County's low-income, unrepresented litigants through court-based programs and legal resources. Individuals who earn more than 125 percent of the federal poverty level typically do not qualify for free legal services. In 2012, that would mean an individual earning more than $14,355 per year, or a family of four earning more than $28,776. That boils down to $1,196 per month for an individual, or $2,398 per month for a family of four. From that money, these families also need to manage the necessities of life including groceries, housing and utilities. That leaves no room for hiring legal help, leaving clients faced with civil issues no choice but to access the courts alone. According to the Milwaukee Justice Center's 2012 annual report: ■ the number of clients served was 10,659, an increase of 32 percent from 2011 ■ the number of volunteers was 347, a decrease of 6 percent ■ the number of pro bono hours was 8,836, an increase of 17 percent ■ the value of volunteer services totaled $777,060, an increase of 19 percent ■ the average hours per volunteer was 25.5, an increase of 24 percent ■ 60 percent of those helped were African-American ■ 21 percent of those helped were Caucasian ■ 13 percent of those helped were Latino ■ 50 percent of those helped had a monthly household income of $1,000 or less. Appointments are scheduled in onehour increments to assist pro se litigants with filling out paperwork for Part II divorce issues. Legal advice is not provided during appointments. The Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinic at the Milwaukee Justice Center is a free, walk-in legal information and referral clinic staffed by volunteer attorneys working with and supervising Marquette University law students. The clinic's goal is to provide unrepresented litigants with basic legal information and appropriate referrals on civil legal matters. While legal advice is provided, the clinic does not take cases or represent clients in an ongoing manner. The MJC website, www.MilwaukeeJusticeCenter.org, recorded more than 61,000 visits in 2012. Unrepresented litigants can find forms and filing instructions for divorce, child support, custody, small claims, foreclosure, landlord-tenant disputes, Chapter 128 debt relief and name change matters. North Shore Bank completes Bank of Kenosha conversions Post Staff BROOKFIELD – North Shore Bank on Friday said the conversion of two former Bank of Kenosha locations to full North Shore branches will be completed on Monday . Brookfield-based North Shore acquired Banks of Wisconsin after the Kenosha bank was closed by regulators on May 31. Banks of Wisconsin did business as Bank of Kenosha. With the conversion, customers of the former Bank of Kenosha will have access to all North Shore Bank benefits and serv- ices. North Shore Bank signage also will be installed at the former Bank of Kenosha branches. "Our newest customers will now benefit from even more convenient locations and other expanded facilities and services provided by our community-minded bank," said Susan Doyle, vice president of North Shore Bank. North Shore has three locations in Kenosha at 5117 Green Bay Road, 6906 Green Bay Road and 8056 39th Ave. North Shore Bank has 47 branches in eastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois and assets of more than $1.7 billion.

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