WisTAF makes fourth round of Legal Aid Advancement grants

May 1, 2026

WisTAF distributed Legal Aid Advancement (LAA) grants this week to the 14 civil legal aid providers listed below.

This support will help people in Wisconsin who are victims of abuse, fraud, or other crimes, or who face other civil legal challenges of life-altering magnitude, but cannot afford attorneys to address these problems.

The state's civil legal aid providers work every day to help such people gain access to justice. Unfortunately, an enormous amount of unmet need, along with federal funding reductions, are exacerbating the longstanding access-to-justice crisis (in Wisconsin and around the United States).

A small bright spot in this picture is greater-than-average revenue in the Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program, based on market interest rates. Over the last two years, WisTAF has used this funding to provide four rounds of LAA support, to help recipients of WisTAF's Direct Legal Services (DLS) grants continue their critical work.

This month's grants total $4 million. Although the amount is nowhere near what providers will need to address all civil legal needs of all low-income people in Wisconsin, WisTAF is grateful for the opportunity to increase access to justice for as many people in economic disadvantage as possible. Read more about WisTAF's mission to increase access to justice.