______________________________________ 975 Bascom Mall, Madison, WI 53706-1399
UW LAW SCHOOL
PRO BONO PROGRAM
2011-2012 ANNUAL REPORT
Contact us!
Visit us online! law.wisc.edu/probono
Produced by: UW Law School Pro Bono Program, Summer 2012. Design: Julia Zwak.
Photo Credits: Jeff Brown, Mike Hall, Deb Heneghan, Nicole Lee, Andy Manis, Jay Salvo, Julia Zwak.
2011-2012 Student Advisory Committee Dan Baron, Black Law Students Association Paul Blalock, Student Bar Association Adria Crowe, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program Jennifer Cunha, Student Hurricane Network Trisha Fillbach, Interim Asst. Dean for Career Services Kathryn Finley, Latino Law Student Association Mike Hall, Director of Student Life Ben Kempinen, Pro Bono Program Faculty Advisor Kevin Layde, National Lawyers Guild Lauren Murphy, Black Law Students Association Meg Saito, Public Interest Law Foundation Michael Turski, Unemployment Appeals Clinic Erin Vermillion, Public Interest Law Foundation Henry Weiner, Student Bar Association Ann Zimmerman, UW Law School Pro Bono Program Julia Zwak, UW Law School Pro Bono Program 2011-2012 AmeriCorps VISTA Advisory Board Robin Ellen Frisch, Community Representative B.J. Ganem, Dane County Veterans Service Office Jason Johns, Wisconsin Legislative Strategies, Inc. Kevin Magee, Legal Action of Wisconsin Steve Schooler, Porchlight, Inc. Ed Zapala, VA Veterans Justice Outreach Program Julia Zwak, UW Law School Pro Bono Program
Special Thanks
Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson
Dane County Bar Association
Dean Margaret Raymond
Economic Justice Institute
Legal Action of Wisconsin
Marquette Law School
State Bar of Wisconsin
UW Law School Event Planning Office
UW Law School Copy Shop
UW Law School News
Wisconsin Campus Compact
University of Wisconsin Law School
PRO BONO PROGRAM 2011-2012 Annual Report
Dear Friends,
Thank you. Your collective contributions over the past year were key to our enormous growth and success.
Dean Raymond and the faculty gave us an excellent start in unanimously supporting the creation of the Pro Bono Society, which recognizes students who provide outstanding levels of pro bono service. The student response was impressive: In the past year, UW law students performed 2,300 hours of service, and 27 students earned the honor of graduating with pro bono dis-tinction.
Clearly, this never would have been possible if our attorney partners hadn’t first committed to supervising the students eager to work with them. We were pleased to add a dozen new partners this year. While the students helped expand the attorneys’ capacity to provide legal services to those in need, the attorneys provided opportunities for our students to gain practical work experiences and learn how to incorporate pro bono service into their busy lives.
Of course, it never hurts to receive support and encouragement from the ju-diciary, and we were honored to have a number of court officials participate in our events throughout the year.
Excitement is building for the year ahead. Our Annual Fall Reception is on September 13, and the Veterans Law Center launches in November. We in-vite you to join us in providing more pro bono services in the coming year.
With gratitude, Ann Zimmerman, J.D. Director, UW Law School Pro Bono Program
If you are interested in supervising UW law student volunteers working on pro bono matters or if
you have an idea for a pro bono project, visit law.wisc.edu/probono/projects.html to learn more! About the Pro Bono Program
The UW Law School Pro Bono Program provides students with opportunities to deliver law-related services to underrepresented community members. Students are assisted and support-ed by Pro Bono Program staff with placements in private and nonprofit law firms, legal aid groups, in-house programs and other organizations, where their pro bono work is performed under supervision. In keeping with the law school's law-in-action tradition, students develop legal and professional skills, gain practical, hands-on experience in real work environments, and explore their ethical responsibility to provide pro bono service.
Program History The Pro Bono Program (formerly the Pro Bono Partnership Project) began as a pilot project in 2007. Its basic structure involved pairing law stu-dents with local Dane County attorneys to pro-vide legal assistance in civil matters to persons otherwise unable to secure legal representation. Initially, the project utilized a volunteer law stu-dent to assist Clinical Professors Ben Kempinen and Marsha Mansfield in administering the pro-gram. In the spring of 2011, the Project hired its first Director, Ann Zimmerman, and was renamed the UW Law School Pro Bono Program.
The Pro Bono Program & AmeriCorps VISTA In 2009, the Pro Bono Program received a three-year renewable AmeriCorps VISTA grant from Wisconsin Campus Compact, partnering with Legal Action of Wisconsin to increase the pro bono activities of UW law students in service to underrepresented individuals. The VISTA pro-gram focuses on building capacity in nonprofit organizations, schools, and communities to-ward the end goal of poverty alleviation. The VISTA member's role at the Pro Bono Program is not only to ensure the ongoing operation of the program, but to establish long-term project sustainability beyond the three-year grant cycle.
Consider donating! Gifts made to the Pro Bono Program support UW law students as well as the community organizations
and individuals served through student efforts. Donate to the Pro Bono Program via check or online pay-ment through the Economic Justice Institute: law.wisc.edu/fjr/eji/giving.html.
From left: Pro Bono Program Faculty Advisors, Ben
Kempinen and Marsha Mansfield. Pro Bono Program
Director, Ann Zimmerman.
From left: Henry Weiner, the Program’s first Ameri-
Corps VISTA and a current 2L at UW Law School. Julia
Zwak, the Program’s AmeriCorps VISTA during the
2011-2012 year. Jonathan Seok, the Program’s third and
final AmeriCorps VISTA, who will serve during the
2012-2013 year.
2011-2012 Program Highlights
Dean Margaret Raymond and the law school
faculty approved the creation of the Pro Bono
Society, an institutional honor for students
participating in pro bono service during their
tenure at UW Law School.
_________________________________________
Over 100 law students, faculty members, and
community members attended the Pro Bono
Program’s Annual Fall Reception in Septem-
ber. Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson and
Dean Margaret Raymond spoke to students
about the importance of pro bono service.
_________________________________________
The Pro Bono Program formed a Student Ad-
visory Committee to further collaborate with
law student organizations that coordinate stu-
dent pro bono activities.
_________________________________________
The Pro Bono Program received two State Bar
of Wisconsin Pro Bono Initiative Grants to-
taling $10,000 to fund the UW Law School Pro
Bono Society and the Veterans Law Center.
_________________________________________
Twenty-seven students were inducted into the
Pro Bono Society, receiving awards of pro bo-
no distinction and an honor cord worn at
graduation.
Left: Dean Margaret Raymond talks with students
about pro bono service at the Annual Fall Reception.
Right, above: Stakeholders meet at the State Bar of
Wisconsin to discuss the Veterans Law Center initiative.
Right, below: Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson and
Dane County Circuit Judge Juan Colas at the Annual
Fall Reception.
“The Pro Bono Program helps our
law students become better lawyers
and helps the community
by assisting those with unmet legal
needs. I'm delighted that so many
of our students are enthusiastic
about pro bono service and plan to
make it a part of their legal careers.”
—Dean Margaret Raymond
2011-2012 Program Highlights Partner Organizations
Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups (CWAG) Student volunteers work closely with CWAG attorneys on a variety of legal research and community outreach pro-jects, particularly through the Nursing Home Quality Im-provement Project and the Wisconsin Guardianship Sup-port Center. Community Immigration Law Center (CILC) Law students conduct intake interviews on behalf of CILC attorneys with walk-in immigrant clients seeking legal in-formation. Coordinated by the Latino Law Student Associ-ation.
Dane County Court Appointed Special Advocates Student advocates meet with families and children in Dane County and submit reports to advocate on behalf of abused and neglected children who are under the legal protection of the Dane County Court System. Dane County Foreclosure Mediation Program Student volunteers assist individuals in financial distress with much-needed legal services in preparation for their foreclosure mediations. Students explain the mediation process and review necessary paperwork with homeown-ers. Disability Rights Wisconsin As part of the Medicare Part D Hotline Project, law stu-dents provide telephone assistance to low-income individ-uals choosing a prescription drug plan. Students also advo-cate on behalf of callers to resolve Medicare Part D prob-lems. Dodge County Detention Facility Visits In collaboration with the National Immigrant Justice Cen-ter, students conduct one-on-one interviews with detained
immigrants at the Dodge County Detention Facility, screening them for possible relief from deportation. Coor-dinated by the Latino Law Student Association. Domestic Abuse Intervention Services Working one-on-one with a supervising attorney, student volunteers provide assistance on cases addressing a range of legal issues for victims of domestic violence. Easter Seals Wisconsin Under the supervision of a managing attorney, students provide legal counseling in the preparation of financial and health care powers of attorney to aging and disabled indi-viduals who are not able to afford legal help in this area. Foley & Lardner Internship During fall semester, three students participated in a pro bono internship assisting Foley & Lardner attorneys pre-paring for a death penalty case on behalf of an Arizona woman challenging her conviction. Student Hurricane Network Students travel to a location that has recently suffered from a major natural disaster, offering volunteer assistance to legal service organizations addressing issues such as access to public benefits, employment, housing, and discharge of pre-disaster financial obligations. Tenant Resource Center Students provide pro bono service as Volunteer Housing Counselors, providing legal information to tenants and landlords about their rights and responsibilities.
Left: Students volunteer at the Community Immigration Law
Center in Madison. Right, above: Attorney Wes Taylor ‘09
with a student volunteer at a Wills for Heroes clinic in Madi-
son. Far right: Students learn about pro bono opportunities
at the Pro Bono Pizza Panel event.
“I thoroughly enjoy collaborating with the
law students. The clients enjoy feeling like
they are contributing to the student’s edu-
cation and many express the confidence
they have in UW Law School graduates.”
—Julie Short, Easter Seals Wisconsin
If you are interested in supervising UW law student volunteers working on pro bono matters or if
you have an idea for a pro bono project, visit law.wisc.edu/probono/projects.html to learn more!
Unemployment Appeals Clinic In collaboration with local volunteer attorneys, law stu-dents help community members prepare for an unemploy-ment insurance hearing, with the option of appearing as an advocate on behalf of community members at administra-tive hearings. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program Law students assist low-income individuals in preparing their tax returns, gaining exposure to a variety of tax issues as well as the financial difficulties faced by low-income populations. Coordinated by the Business and Tax Law Association. Voter Registration Project Students are trained to serve as Special Registration Depu-ties for the City of Madison, registering voters in advance of election periods at locations throughout the city. Wills for Heroes Law students assist attorneys with preparing wills and oth-er estate-planning documents free of charge for eligible first responders at one-day clinics throughout the state.
Individual Projects In addition to the pre-approved placements listed here, students may participate in individual pro bono projects with the approval of Pro Bono Program staff. Projects must be unpaid, law-related, appropriately supervised, and in service to eligible clients.
About the Pro Bono Program
2011-2012 Project Supervisors
Maren Beermann Peter Bennett
Susannah Camic Mary Beth Collins Jennifer Binkley
Jeff Brown Rosa Frazier
Peter Koneazny Brenda Konkel Erin McBride
Kate Mogulescu Jo Prust
Krista Ralston Eva Schiffrin
Katelyn Schmidt Julie Short
Grant Sovern Krista Sterken Paul Swenson
Wes Taylor Jean-Rene Watchou
Anders Zanichowsky
“Student volunteers are bright, receptive
to suggestion, responsive to direction,
and think on their feet as they blend their
academic training and clinical skills into
their interaction with clients. “
—Wes Taylor, Foley & Lardner, LLP
The Student Experience
100% of students would recommend the Pro
Bono Program to other students.
97% of students report that their pro bono
experience has increased their substantive
knowledge of an area of law.
97% of students report that their pro bono
experience has increased their understand-
ing of the problems faced by underrepre-
sented populations.
91% of students report that their pro bono
experience has made it more likely that they
will perform pro bono work in the future.
Above: May graduates receive certificates of member-
ship and awards of pro bono distinction from Pro Bono
Program Faculty Advisor Ben Kempinen and Pro Bono
Program Coordinator Julia Zwak. Far right: December
Pro Bono Society inductee, Michael Turski, along with
Pro Bono Program Director Ann Zimmerman.
Fall 2011: Jessica Moeller (2L)
Jessica contributed over 50 hours of
pro bono service toward a pro bono
internship at Foley & Lardner, LLP
and assisted first responders
throughout Wisconsin with wills
preparation through the Wills for
Heroes program.
Spring 2012: Patrick O’Neill (1L)
Patrick contributed over 120 hours of
pro bono service during a pro bono
internship at ABC for Health, a pub-
lic interest law firm dedicated to en-
suring health care access for children
and families, particularly those with
special needs or who are at risk.
“I enjoyed my pro bono experience. It has
been a fantastic way to practice and use the
substantive law and legal skills I have
learned in school in real life situations. I en-
joy having the opportunity to give back to
the community and use my legal skills
to make a difference.”
—Jessica von Reyn, Class of 2013
Volunteers of the Semester
Roya Bahrami
Christina Balistreri
Annaliese Beaman
Andrew Conner
Taylor Cope
Adria Crowe
Rachel Cychosz
Erik Didrikson
Timothy Dorr
Nneka Colleen Egbujiobi
Brendan Fischer
Paul Fredrickson
Elia Garcia
Benjamin Jones
Trevor Jones
Leslie Kuhn Thayer
Edward Minser
Ian Prust
Michael Queensland
Joseph Ricker
Joleen Rivera
Lindsay Rosenquist Burns
Robert Sanders
Jennifer Schwartau
Erik Splett
Michael Turski
Nicole Wells
Bennet Acker
Jerri Adams
Lauren Adams
Jair Alvarez
Julie Anderson**
Ogochukwu Anokwute
Roya Bahrami*
Christina Balistreri*
Alexis Blanco
Cary Bloodworth
Chelsea Brenegan
Melissa Burchell**
Abigail Carney
Andrew Christopherson
Erin Clark
Andrew Conner*
Taylor Cope*
Jennifer Cunha**
Rachel Cychosz*
Aaron Dumas
Nneka Colleen Egbujiobi*
Lauren Fangmann
Kathryn Finley**
Paul Fredrickson*
Brendan Fischer*
Elizabeth Fischer**
Elia Garcia*
Grant Gardner**
Kenny Ho
Elizabeth Hoffman**
Mary Hoynacki
Douglas Huenink**
Lisa Jacobson
Benjamin Jones*
Grant Keebler
Iga Fikayo Keme
Natalie Kirk
Kevin Layde
JungEun Lee
Jennifer Limbach
Mary Luu
David Maes
Sarra Marie
Thomas McDonell**
Corey Mehlos
Jennifer Miller
Edward Minser*
Jessica Moeller**
Lia Ocasio
Patrick O’Neill**
Ian Prust*
Jason Reed
Joseph Ricker*
Joleen Rivera*
Mackenzie Roach
Megumi Saito**
Christopher Schmidt**
William Schumacher
Jennifer Schwartau*
Jaclyn Shelton
Camille Silliman
Michael Solberg
Erik Splett*
Laura Steigerwald
Luis Valdez
Jessica Von Reyn**
Alyssa Wassink**
Henry Weiner
Nicole Wells*
Jackie Wilcox
David Williams
Nicole Williams
“Above all else, the Pro Bono Program
allows law students to serve individu-
als in our community that need help
the most. This program instills the val-
ue of pro bono service, something that
all of us can take with us into the legal
profession following graduation.”
— Kathryn Finley, Class of 2013
Pro Bono Society Members
Inducted December 2011 and May 2012
Graduates reported pro bono service hours from all three years of law school, from September 2009 to May 2012.
2011-2012 Student Volunteers Total Reported Hours: 2,300
*Inducted into the Pro Bono Society in the 2011-2012 Academic Year. **Has met the requirement for induction into the Pro Bono Society in a future year.