Legal

The ACLU of Wisconsin Foundation receives thousands of phone calls and letters at our legal department in Milwaukee every year. The ACLU of Wisconsin Foundation proactively works for civil liberties through public education, referrals, and grassroots community building. Even strongly worded letters to government entities can make a positive change. However, out of the many complaints reviewed in our legal department, some complaints merit direct legal action (find out more about how we consider cases on our legal complaint page).

The ACLU of Wisconsin Foundation statewide board is ultimately responsible for deciding which complaints will be referred to cooperating attorneys for representation. Representation may be direct (such as when the attorney's client is a party - plaintiff or defendant - in a case). Or, the representation may be by means of an amicus, or "friend of the court" brief on behalf of individuals or organizations that have an interest in another party's lawsuit.

Our annual dockets (PDF) can be downloaded from our website as well.