Available Pro Bono Cases

Wisconsin SCR 31.05(7) states that an attorney may claim one CLE credit for every five hours of pro bono work, up to six credits per reporting period. The Western District of Wisconsin is looking for attorneys to volunteer to assist pro se parties with legal services on a pro bono basis. If an attorney, or firm, would like to volunteer legal services, but these cases are not a good fit, the Court will keep your name, or the name of your firm, on a list to contact about future representation.

These cases have passed screening, and the Court is requesting volunteers to represent on a limited or full-case basis, as identified. Please contact Melissa Hardin at 608-261-5718 with interest or questions.

  • Paulo Cruz Gonzalez

    20-cv-635-jdp

    Paulo Cruz Gonzalez is a prisoner at the Wisconsin Resource Center. Gonzalez asserts due process and negligence claims based on the allegation that defendants overcharged him for international phone calls. Defendants have filed a motion for summary judgment; the court seeks counsel to represent Gonzalez at the summary judgment stage and if necessary at trial. Gonzalez appears to have limitations communicating in English, so a Spanish-speaking attorney would be helpful. Relevant documents include orders screening Gonzalez’s complaint, granting partial summary judgment to defendants on exhaustion grounds, and granting recruitment of counsel.

     

  • Ulices Guerrero

    19-cv-578-wmc

    Plaintiff Ulices Guerrero is proceeding to trial on his Eighth Amendment claim that a Stanley Corrections Officer conducted a pat search with the intention to harass or humiliate him.  Plaintiff cannot speak, read or write English well enough to represent himself at trial, so the court stayed the trial date and agreed to recruit counsel.   Attached is the court’s summary judgment decision.

  • Carl Gilbert

    20-cv-194-jdp

    Plaintiff Carl C. Gilbert II is a civil detainee confined at Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center. Gilbert alleges that state officials and private providers failed to provide him with adequate medical care for an injury to his right knee. Attached are two orders screening Gilbert’s claims and the order granting his motion to recruit counsel.

    Screening Order 1

    Screening Order 2

    Order Recruiting Counsel

     

  • Jeff Poff

    22-cv-238-wmc
    Date Granted Leave to Proceed: 11/06/2023

    Plaintiff Jeff Poff is proceeding to trial on an excessive force claim against Lieutenant Janet Fisher relating to a use-of-force incident on July 14, 2020, while housed at the Wisconsin Secure Prison Facility.  Plaintiff is currently housed at Waupun C.I.  At the final pretrial conference, the court struck the trial date to recruit counsel for trial.  Attached please find the court’s motion in limine order, along with the screening order.

    Poff (22-cv-238) MIL order.pdf

    Poff (22-cv-238) screening.pdf

  • Thomas J. Blake

    Blake 21-493-jdp

    Plaintiff Thomas J. Blake is a prisoner at Redgranite Correctional Institution. He is a member of the Asatru religion who is proceeding to a bench trial on (1) a claim under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act about being denied regarding a religious pendant; and (2) a free exercise claim for injunctive relief regarding delays in processing of requests for religious accommodations. Attached are the court’s orders screening his complaint and ruling on the parties’ summary judgment motions.

     

  • Aaron Templeton

    23-109-jdp

    Plaintiff Aaron Templeton is a prisoner at Jackson Correctional Institution. He alleges that defendant staff members at the Marathon County Jail knowingly housed him with an inmate who had tuberculosis, causing him to contract the disease. The court initially dismissed the case after determining that Templeton had failed to timely exhaust his administrative remedies. The court of appeals reversed. After counsel is located, the court will set a new schedule, including a deadline for summary judgment motions on substantive grounds. Attached is the court’s order screening the complaint.