AmeriCorps Legal Access and Mediation Specialist

Two positions are available:

Position 1) Wisconsin Law Help: 

Wisconsin Law Help will be Wisconsin’s only statewide legal help website, and is in the final stages of development. Launching in early 2024, Wisconsin Law Help will contain two key components: First, a user-friendly guided interview system will seamlessly connect visitors with legal aid organizations offering free or low-cost services tailored to their specific needs. Second, the platform will host easily accessible legal information covering Family, Housing, and Consumer law. This initial launch will conclude phase one of Wisconsin Law Help, laying the foundation for future development of self-help tools and substantive legal information into additional crucial topics, including Barriers to Employment, Public Benefits, Health, and Estates, Wills, and Guardianships. Unlike conventional legal resources primarily designed for legal professionals, Wisconsin Law Help is strategically crafted to demystify complex legal concepts, empowering individuals to navigate the legal landscape independently. The AmeriCorps member joining Judicare Legal Aid will serve as a vital link between legal resources and key health priorities, fostering communication and education within the community while promoting health equity, diversity, and inclusion. Their role will directly impact various health domains, including healthy growth and development, injury and violence prevention, mental health, nutrition and food security, and the social determinants of health. While the platform aims to facilitate connections with legal assistance providers, it also acknowledges the stark reality: limited funding for civil legal aid in Wisconsin means that less than half of eligible individuals receive the support they require. Thus, this project not only addresses immediate legal needs but also seeks to bridge the gap between demand and available resources, fostering greater access to justice for marginalized communities across the state. The AmeriCorps member will play a crucial role in bringing public awareness to these crucial resources, while aiding in expansion of the site’s substantive legal information through four key areas: (1) Content Review & Development; (2) User Testing & Feature Rollout; (3) Resource Maintenance and Referrals; and (4) Community Outreach & Awareness. 1. Content Review & Development: The AmeriCorps member will contribute to the enhancement of Wisconsin Law Help's resources by reviewing and refining content in key areas such as housing, consumer, and family law. This involves ensuring the clarity and accessibility of legal information for the target audience with plain language review. Legal topics include: -Consumer Law: By providing accessible information on debt management and debt collection practices, the member will empower individuals to navigate financial challenges, thereby reducing stress and promoting financial well-being, which are integral to mental health and overall community health. -Family Law: Through clear and concise explanations of legal processes surrounding divorce, child support, custody, and personal safety measures like restraining orders, the member will contribute to fostering healthy family dynamics and preventing domestic violence, directly impacting healthy growth and development and injury prevention. -Housing Law: By equipping individuals with knowledge about eviction defenses, foreclosure procedures, and accessing public and subsidized housing, the member will help mitigate housing instability and homelessness, addressing critical social determinants of health and ensuring access to safe and stable housing, which is foundational to overall health and well-being. 2. User Testing & Feature Rollout: Collaborating with the team, the member will participate in user testing of new website features post-launch, ensuring usability and addressing any issues to enhance user experience. 3. Resource Maintenance & Referrals: The member will assist in maintaining legal resources on the website to provide accurate referrals to legal aid programs. This includes ensuring that information remains up-to-date and relevant to effectively serve the needs of low-income Wisconsinites. 4. Community Outreach & Awareness: Engaging in various outreach activities, the AmeriCorps member will work to increase awareness of Wisconsin Law Help within the target population. This may involve utilizing social media platforms, organizing in-person events, conducting presentations for community partners, and exploring additional outreach avenues as needed. The member's outreach efforts will prioritize inclusivity and diversity, ensuring that legal resources are accessible to all segments of the community, regardless of background or identity. By conducting community education events, leveraging social media platforms, and collaborating with community partners, the member will foster a culture of health equity and inclusion, where everyone has equal access to vital legal information and resources. By fulfilling these duties, the AmeriCorps member will contribute to Judicare Legal Aid's mission to provide comprehensive support to individuals facing civil legal challenges. They will play a crucial role in empowering low-income Wisconsinites to navigate the legal system and access the assistance they need. 

Position 2) Judicare Mediation:

Judicare Mediation is an initiative of Judicare Legal Aid in its mission to serve clients without the means to afford legal services in the northern 33 counties of Wisconsin. Judicare Mediation provides free mediation services to provide a neutral third-party to help community members resolve disputes outside of the court to try to find mutually agreeable solutions in eviction, consumer and medical debt, and general small claims cases, as ordered by judges. The Judicare Mediation program is five years old and currently operates as the court-sponsored mediation service in seven rural counties in Northern Wisconsin: Marathon, Portage, Langlade, Rusk, Bayfield, Lincoln, and Barron counties. Through mediation, individuals and families in our communities have been able to avoid eviction to stay housed; renegotiated medical debts to better manage their payments; and avoided unnecessary court judgments that would have further destabilized their lives. This unique program is only possible because community volunteers undergo extensive training to conduct these mediations in the court system. None of the counties in the program would be able to offer mediation without them. It’s not an easy volunteer program but participants are involved with fighting poverty and housing insecurity issues which affect their communities. Rural counties such as we serve have unique problems and limited assets. What these communities do have, however, are retired persons who are former educators, business, professional, and government employees who are able to significantly contribute to their community. We are now in the process of expanding to four more counties in the next year and will be seeking to recruit, equip, and train the next set of 20 volunteer mediators to undertake the mediations. The AmeriCorps member joining Judicare Legal Aid will embark on a transformative journey towards becoming a certified mediator, dedicated to providing invaluable support through Judicare Mediation Services across seven counties within our service area. In this role, the member will undergo rigorous mediation training, equipping themselves with the skills necessary to facilitate free mediation services in critical areas such as eviction, consumer and medical debt, and small claims cases. Mediation serves as a pivotal alternative to court proceedings, fostering constructive dialogue between disputing parties under the guidance of a mediator. It's worth noting that while mediators facilitate the process, they refrain from offering legal advice or representing any party involved. The significance of mediation cannot be overstated, particularly for unrepresented, low-income individuals and families who may otherwise find the complexities of the court system daunting. By providing a platform for parties to collaboratively explore mutually agreeable solutions, mediation helps prevent cases from escalating to trial. This is especially vital in cases involving housing stability, debt collection, and court judgments, where the consequences can exacerbate the challenges faced by low-income families, pushing them further into poverty. Through the AmeriCorps member's dedication to mediation, they will play a pivotal role in preserving housing, alleviating debt burdens, and circumventing the detrimental effects of prolonged legal battles. By facilitating resolutions outside the courtroom, they will contribute to fostering a more equitable and accessible justice system, one that empowers individuals to navigate disputes with dignity and fairness.