INTRODUCING LEGAL AID: OUR TEAM
Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee is one of the oldest public interest law firms in the country For more than a century, our mission has been to ensure equal access to representation to build a more just Milwaukee.
35 ATTORNEYS ACROSS 6 PRACTICE AREAS
14 PARALEGALS INTAKE SPECIALISTS RESOURCE LIAISONS ADMINISTRATORS
7 SOCIAL WORKERS & ASSESSMENT PROFESSIONALS
3
LOCATIONS SERVING MILWAUKEE COUNTY RESIDENTS
6,000+
“The people working at Legal Aid have made a choice to make the community a better, more equitable and safer place. The employees are a special group.”
-Legal Aid Society Attorney
INDIVIDUALS & FAMILIES RECEIVING CIVIL LEGAL SERVICES ANNUALLY
Through courtroom advocacy, community engagement, committed partnerships, and steadfast dedication to protecting the rights and interests of our clients, Legal Aid is working to balance the scales of the justice system each and every day
WHAT WE DO: CORE PRACTICE AREAS
Legal Aid provides expert legal services at no cost to eligible individuals and families throughout Milwaukee County. We specialize in a range of civil matters that better protect our clients’ rights and enable them to redevelop and strengthen their communities from within.
EVICTION FREE MKE
A Right to Counsel program in partnership with United Way, Milwaukee County and the City of Milwaukee, Eviction Free MKE helps residents effectively manage the eviction process, while advocating for fair housing practices and stabilizing households
Our south side satellite office in the Mercantile Building at 6th and National serves as a neighborhood site for immigration client meetings. You can learn more about our Immigration Project later on this report
Legal Aid’s Health & Wealth practice focuses on client-centered solutions for removing barriers that limit opportunities for personal and professional growth, including in legal matters ranging from estate planning to pardon applications to Social Security appeals.
GUARDIANS AD LITEM
Legal Aid attorneys are court-appointed as guardians ad litem to represent the best interests of at-risk children and minors in guardianship, paternity, abuse, and other cases in both Children’s and Family Court
CONSUMER PROTECTION HEALTH & WEALTH IMMIGRATION
Legal Aid’s Consumer Protection Project specializes in providing legal remedies for exploitative practices and abuses against individuals of limited economic means.
CIVIL RIGHTS & COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT
Legal Aid Society provides representation on matters involving the rights and remedies of individuals impacted by discriminatory practices, as well as connecting with residents to offer legal services focused on housing security and homeownership, economic opportunity, and local business development.
“We are on the front lines of engaging the Milwaukee community about their rights on a number of civil legal matters.”
-Legal Aid Society Attorney
A MESSAGE FROM OUR BOARD PRESIDENT
Friends of Legal Aid:
It has been my privilege to serve as president of the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee Board of Directors since 2009 During this time, I have developed a deep appreciation for the great value of the free legal services we provide to Milwaukee’s most vulnerable residents. This includes both the significant and daily impact we have upon individual lives and families and the collective benefit of our important work on the wellbeing and vitality of our community.
Our Board consists of leaders from the legal and business communities – representing some of the largest law firms and corporations in Milwaukee, along with our preeminent local law school In the last year, we added three new Directors to help expand our reach and advance the critically important work we do: Patrick Dunphy from Cannon & Dunphy; Joshua Gimbel from Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown; and, Anthony Anzelmo from Husch Blackwell.
I’d like to thank all of the Board Members for their strong commitments to the Legal Aid Society’s mission As current Board members, we recognize and appreciate our important role as stewards for this venerable organization Among other things, we review and set policies, oversee financial matters, and help make important decisions for the organization. We also support Legal Aid’s work financially and occasionally act as co-counsel in complex legal matters. As a Board, our collective experience better informs our organization in achieving transformative objectives. One of the most important recent decisions we made was to significantly increase salaries This was done because our clients deserve talented lawyers and because our lawyers deserve recognition of their worth That’s a win-win situation for retaining and recruiting talent that advances excellence for our clients and our organization
We are extremely fortunate to be able to work with Colleen Foley, our very talented Executive Director, who manages Legal Aid’s day to day operations, identifies and solicits potentially available grants and other funding, recruits talented attorneys and staff, and helps guide our strategic planning and decision making
We very much appreciate the great support we receive from the City and County of Milwaukee, the judiciary, and the legal, business, and academic communities. We are also very thankful for the financial and other help we receive from various foundations and charities and from a large number of individuals. The need for our services is great, and we look forward to a productive and impactful year in 2025.
Peter J Stone
Peter Stone Board President
“We care about people. People matter. We take their hardships seriously. We are truth finders and defenders. We want justice for our clients as much as they deserve justice.”
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PETER J. STONE, President Foley & Lardner, LLP (Retired Partner)
STACY C. GERBER WARD, VP |Treasurer von Briesen & Roper
DANIEL D. BLINKA, Secretary Marquette University Law School
SUNELLA JONES ASH
ANTHONY ANZELMO Husch Blackwell
SEAN O’D BOSACK Godfrey & Kahn, SC
HON. LOUIS B. BUTLER, JR. Dewitt, LLP Law Firm (Retired)
PATRICK O DUNPHY Cannon & Dunphy, SC
JOSHUA L. GIMBEL Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP
COLIN LOONEY Johnson Controls
KRISTIN OCCHETTI Quarles & Brady, LLP
NORA M. PLATT Northwestern Mutual
S. EDWARD SARSKAS Michael Best & Friedrich, LLP
GUY R. TEMPLE Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren, SC
-Legal Aid Society Attorney
TIMOTHY S. TRECEK Habush Habush & Rottier, SC
DANIELLE WHITE Rockwell Automation
MORE THAN A CENTURY OF MILESTONES
Spearheaded state’s first small claims court
Initiated clinical education program with UW Law School
Initiated Lawyer Referral Service with the Milwaukee Bar Association
Pioneered state’s 1st all-female law firm
Pioneered state’s first Public Defense program
Filed state’s first class action lawsuit for low income citizens
Created anti-discrimination projects for AIDS clients
Championed Wisconsin’s response to Hurricane Katrina
Launched Public Interest Justice Initiative with DA’s office to pair civil equal justice with criminal justice reform
Launched Eviction Free MKE – a right-to-counsel initiative for tenants
Created an Immigration Project to serve Milwaukee’s south side community
Dear friends:
A LOOK AHEAD FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Legal Aid’s strengths include a recognition of the times we live in and a keen assessment of how to make a difference As a public interest law firm with more than 100 years of service to Milwaukee’s residents, that is our obligation to our clients and our community. As you can see, our groundbreaking history speaks to it
This year will be no different Here’s our blueprint for the year ahead
First and foremost, Legal Aid’s Immigration Project will add another attorney to the team We are working collaboratively with local partners to ensure client legal rights are respected and protected and that we swiftly respond to whatever comes next
Eviction Free MKE enters its 4th year of stabilizing housing for over 10,000 Milwaukee residents with a profound return on investment Stout’s Independent Evaluation of Eviction Free Milwaukee (spanning September 2021 through September 2024) says it best: their report estimates that for every dollar spent on EFM through September 30, 2024, Milwaukee has likely realized at least $4 66 in potential fiscal impacts and economic benefits That means Eviction Free MKE has yielded an estimated total of $23 3 million in impacts and benefits for Milwaukee County over 3 years. See more key findings and details on page 8
In the year ahead, Legal Aid’s Consumer Protection Project will continue its weekly courthouse presence for consumers seeking assistance and addressing aggressive third-party debt collection practices. The team will further advance affordable housing opportunities through representation at real estate closings in partnership with the Milwaukee Community Land Trust (MCLT) and Community Development Alliance (CDA)
The Health & Wealth team begins a new collaboration with the Milwaukee County Probate Office this year to address unmet need involving small estates where the family home is at risk. Additionally, it will partner with Harambee-based Riverworks on financial presentations and expand community estate planning clinics.
The Guardians ad Litem teams will continue to advance the best interests of children in 2025 through innovations in treatment court and critical thinking involving children and the law issues.
And new for 2025, Legal Aid will launch a quarterly podcast in partnership with our marketing partner InPower, a minority women-owned agency in the Harambee neighborhood We will tackle issues directly impacting our clients in conversation with local thought leaders working to change our city for the better
There’s a lot of work to do and we are ready for it! Thank you as always for your support
Colleen Foley
Colleen Foley Executive Director
SPOTLIGHT: IMMIGRATION PROJECT
Aligned with our long history of responding to the acute needs of our community, Legal Aid Society launched our Immigration Project in 2023 to help address the growing, and largely unmet, demand for attorneys to represent those seeking a new beginning in Milwaukee.
Originally staffed by 1 lead attorney, our Immigration Project began with a focus on asylum applications and work permit issuance, helping to provide a pathway out of poverty through employment.
With a bilingual team of 2 attorneys and 1 paralegal, Legal Aid is poised to expand our practice in 2025.
We are committed to serving more individuals and families by also providing legal advice and representation on deportation issues in these uncertain times.
“Milwaukee is a city of immigrants. [Legal Aid’s] work says that these newcomers are members of our community, just like in generations past; that their lives have value, and that they need assistance just like anybody else to be able to maximize their potential.”
-Kevin Layde Attorney & Partner Layde & Parra, SC
THE IMPACT OF EVICTION FREE MKE
Launched in 2021, Eviction Free MKE is a Right to Counsel program that ensures individuals and families facing eviction have the support, guidance, and legal representation they need to stay in their homes Recently, global advisory firm Stout published its “Independent Evaluation of Eviction Free Milwaukee; For the Period: September 1, 2021 through September 30, 2024* ” Below are some of the key findings from that report which demonstrate the immense value of the program and the incredible work our team of attorneys at Legal Aid, along with our partners, are doing to represent those facing possible eviction.
10,574 households, including 28,211 individuals have been supported
Of those individuals, 15,642 were adults, while 12,569 were children
3,654 households in Milwaukee County avoided disruptive displacement as a result of Eviction Free MKE
78% of Eviction Free MKE clients identified as female of Eviction Free MKE clients identified as Black or African American
59% of program clients owed $2,000 or less in back rent
$23.3 MILLION
total estimated fiscal and economic activity benefits of Eviction Free MKE over 3 years
$4.66 estimated benefit for every $1.00 spent on EFM, leading to:
• $8.7M housing social safety net responses
• $3.3M economic value preserved by retaining residency in Milwaukee
• $2.5M fiscal impacts of responding to crime
• $2.4M out-of-home foster care placements
• $1.8M federal and state funding retained for MPS
• $1.5M economic benefits of increased educational attainment
• $1.3M economic benefits of employment stability
*Stout Risius Ross, LLC. January 21, 2025.
Visit https://EvictionFreeMKE.org to learn more about this program
2024 SHOUT OUTS
Legal Aid takes pride in our commitment to getting out in the community, advocating for our clients and being a voice for change. Here are just a few of the many notable accomplishments, recognitions, cases and programs that showcased our firm and members of our team this past year.
Executive Director Colleen Foley was one of 16 Milwaukee-based organizational leaders selected to The Bader Leadership Institute’s 2024 Fellows program
Eviction Free MKE program was featured by WUWM 89.7 and in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Won SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE law firm category in the Shepherd Express Best of Milwaukee for 2024
Courtney Roelandts, Assistant Managing Attorney, Guardians ad Litem Children’s Court, presented 3 oral arguments before the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Health and Wealth Managing Attorney Jourdan Glenn was named President of the Wisconsin Association of African-American Lawyers (WAAL), serving a one-year term starting 10/1/24
Played a crucial role in the Department of Justice settlement with Milwaukee landlord Berrada Properties Management in landlord-tenant enforcement action
Held more than a dozen free community clinics to help residents with eviction sealings, garnishments, and estate planning
Convened a landlord-tenant symposium with nearly 20 attendees to share feedback on the Eviction Free MKE program and discuss opportunities for further collaboration
Managing Attorney Nick Toman was interviewed by Fox 6 for stories on landlords’ responsibility to heat rental units in the winter and small claims court, where he was joined by staff attorney Mitch Yurkowitz
ANNUAL LUNCHEON
2024 was a record-breaking event! Legal Aid Society welcomed more than 380 attendees including staff, civic leaders, special guests, and corporate and legal partners to share in our immigration-focused program.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Nancy Hernandez President, Hispanic Collaborative
“Through your work, you strengthen families. You support their access and upward mobility And you help them move toward a position where they can thrive.”
THOMAS G. CANNON EQUAL JUSTICE MEDALISTS
Honoring individuals who make exemplary contributions to equal justice
Kevin Layde Partner, Layde & Parra, SC
In Memoriam: Jose A. Olivieri Partner, Michael Best & Friedrich, LLP
*Medal presented to Luis Arroyo of Michael Best & Friedrich*
GUEST SPEAKERS
• Cavalier Johnson | Mayor, City of Milwaukee
• Honorable Carl Ashley | Chief Judge, Milwaukee County Circuit Court
• Amira Adams | Spoken Word Poet
Save the Date: September 4, 2025
Italian Community Center
$20,000+
$12,500$19,999
SILVER GOLD PLATINUM
• Argosy Foundation
• Cannon & Dunphy
• Foley & Lardner
LUNCHEON SPONSORS
• Quarles & Brady
• Reinhart Boerner Van Duren, SC
$7,500$12,499
$5,000$7,499
$1,000$2,499
• Bader Philanthropies, Inc.
• Rockwell Automation
• William Stark Jones Foundation
WILLIAM STARK JONES FOUNDATION
BRONZE
• Crivello, Nichols & Hall
• Godfrey & Kahn
• Martin Law Office
• Michael Best & Friedrich
• Northwestern Mutual Foundation
• Ralph Evinrude Foundation
• von Briesen & Roper, SC
TABLE
• Linda Anick
• Associated Bank
• Tom & Nancy Cannon
• Community Advocates
• Colleen Foley & Kent Redding
• Gass Turek
• Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP
• Mike and Robin Gonring
• Gruber Law Offices
• Hupy & Abraham
• Husch Blackwell, LLP
$2,500$4,999
FRIENDS
• AF Technical
• Habush Habush & Rottier SC
• Maria Ledger
• O’Neil, Cannon, Hollman, DeJong & Laing
• WE Energies Foundation
• Amy and Andrew Jones
• Charles Kahn & Patti Keating Kahn
• Marquette University Law School
• Mason Wells / Damon Thome & Lindsay Ruch
• Milwaukee Justice Center
• Old National Bank
• Polan Family
• State Bar of Wisconsin
• The Difference Principle
• Versant Solutions
• Wipfli
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Our work would not be possible without the dedicated support we receive from our steadfast partners throughout Milwaukee County - from across the spectrum of private, public, foundation, civic, and nonprofit spaces We would like to recognize everyone who contributed to building a better Milwaukee in 2024, including but not limited to the organizations and individuals listed on these pages.
CIVIC, GOV’T, NONPROFIT & AGENCY
FOUNDATIONS
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2024 HONOR ROLL: INDIVIDUAL DONORS
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• Lisa Procaccio
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• John Remington
• Greg W Renz
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• Robinson Law
• Robert B Rondini
• David B Ryan
• S. Edward Sarskas
• James Schacht
• Ellen Segar
• Thomas Shriner
• Mark W Smith
• John Sobotik
• Karen Solliday
• Rose E Spang
• Carlton Stansbury
• L William Staudenmaier
• Florence Steinberger
• Ralph Stockhausen
• Peter J. Stone
• Andrea Terry
• Karen Tidwall
• Joseph Tierney
• Julie Toman
• Tim Trecek
• Mary E Triggiano
• Catherine Tully
• John Van Uxem
• William Velez
• Sally Wahl
• James A Walrath
• Timothy Ward
• Francis Wasielewski
• Phyllis Wax
• Katie West
• Maxine White
• Dawn Wilson
• Julie Wilson
• Lee Wolcott
• Brenda Wood
• Jessica Zaiger
• Tom Zander
• Dean Zemel
• Molly Zillig
