How we help

Clients address life-altering challenges through attorney counsel and other legal services funded by WisTAF.

Families keep their homes. Workers keep their jobs. Survivors of abuse secure their safety through restraining orders. Veterans maintain their benefits.

And yet, the human impact of justice for all is only part of the picture.

Punished for another's crime

“Mary” was a victim of sex trafficking. This led to her being convicted of prostitution. For so long, whenever she applied for jobs, education, or volunteering, she would have to disclose this stigmatized crime — no fault of her own — which brought up painful memories of being victimized. LOTUS Legal Clinic filed a petition to vacate the conviction in court, which was granted. Now Mary can live without stigma as an innocent person should.

When people resolve legal problems, they can move forward in life. The whole community benefits from their newfound stability and the ripple effect of its economic impact, as well as from a more efficient judicial system.

WisTAF's role

In 2024, the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation (WisTAF) administered grants so that more than 13,000 people, across every county in Wisconsin, could access justice in matters of civil law. More facts about our foundation. 

WisTAF funds also play a role beyond those numbers. Our longest standing grant program, Direct Legal Services, offers flexibility so funded organizations can direct these resources where people in Wisconsin most need them.