Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee

What Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee does

Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee is a 501(c)-style nonprofit public interest law firm founded in 1916, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that provides free civil legal services to income-eligible Milwaukee County residents. The organization operates six core practice areas: EvictionFree MKE (a statutory Right to Counsel eviction defense program established under Milwaukee County legislation in 2021), Consumer Protection Project, Health & Wealth (SSI appeals, estate planning, pardon applications), Immigration (asylum, work permits, deportation defense, launched in 2023), Community Redevelopment, and court-appointed Guardians ad Litem services for both Family Court and Children's Court. It supplements direct representation with free monthly community clinics (Eviction Sealing, Security Deposit, Garnishment, Free Business Seminars) and distributes services through three office locations (downtown Milwaukee, the Vel R. Phillips Youth and Family Justice Center in Wauwatosa, and a southside Milwaukee satellite) plus courthouse consultations and community partner clinics.

The underlying service delivery is built on a civil legal case management and client intake platform accessed via the legalaidmke.com website, with intake assessments and 3-5 business day phone follow-up for eligibility determination. There is no proprietary technology stack of note; the technology layer is functional rather than differentiating, and the organization's value proposition rests on legal expertise, statutory positioning, and community embeddedness rather than on technology.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded rather than revenue-generating. Funding streams include foundation grants (Zilber Family Foundation, Trillium Foundation), United Way partnership support for the EvictionFree MKE pilot, individual donations, and event-driven sponsorship revenue through annual luncheons with tiered sponsorships ranging from $1,000 (Table Sponsor) to $25,000 (Presenting Sponsor). All services are provided at no cost to clients, who are segmented by legal need (tenants facing eviction, at-risk children in court, immigrants, consumers facing exploitation, individuals needing estate planning/SSI help). The organization is led by Executive Director Colleen Foley, with a managing attorney structure across practice areas and a reported governance board. Public education and brand reach are extended through the Balancing the Scales podcast launched in October 2025 in partnership with Marquette University Law School.

Name

Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee

Legal name

Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee

Website

https://legalaidmke.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee is a 1916-founded nonprofit public interest law firm providing free civil legal services to income-eligible Milwaukee County residents across eviction defense, consumer protection, family and children's court, immigration, and estate planning practice areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Legal Aid Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Individual and Family Services (6241), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Defense & Legal Aid Services (BPAIAFAC), Legal Literacy & Public Legal Education (Know Your Rights) (EDAAAFAI), Racial & Ethnic Justice Organizations (BPAGAFAC), Clinical Legal Education & Legal Aid Clinics (Law School–Run) (EDAHAIAG)

Keywords

• Civil legal services
• Free legal aid
• Eviction defense
• Consumer protection law
• Guardians ad litem

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Grant Funding: Legal Aid Society operates as a nonprofit organization funded through grants from foundations such as The Trillium Foundation, philanthropic donations, and government funding to provide free civil legal services.
2. Donations and Sponsorships: Annual luncheons and fundraising events generate sponsorship revenue and individual donations from supporters. Sponsorship tiers range from $1,000 (Table Sponsor) to $25,000 (Presenting Sponsor).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee provides free civil legal services to income-eligible Milwaukee County residents, including eviction defense (EvictionFree MKE Right to Counsel), consumer protection, immigration representation, guardians ad litem services in family and children's court, and health/wealth matters such as SSI appeals and estate planning. The organization serves more than 6,000 eligible families and individuals each year through staff attorneys, community clinics, and courthouse consultations.

Product overview

Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee provides a portfolio of free civil legal services to qualifying Milwaukee County residents. The organization operates core practice areas including Eviction Free MKE (Right to Counsel eviction defense), Consumer Protection, Health & Wealth (SSI/estate planning), Immigration, Community Redevelopment, and court-appointed Guardians ad Litem services for Family Court and Children's Court. These services are complemented by free community clinics including Eviction Sealing, Security Deposit, and Garnishment clinics. The organization also produces public education content through its Balancing the Scales podcast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EvictionFree MKE: A Right to Counsel program that provides eviction defense to Milwaukee County tenants served with an eviction summons and complaint. Launched in 2021 as a three-year pilot program.
• Consumer Protection Project
• Health & Wealth
• Balancing the Scales

Products and services

• Eviction Free MKE Right to Counsel program providing free eviction defense to Milwaukee County tenants served with an eviction summons and complaint, covering pre- and post-eviction matters including termination notices, habitable conditions, lock-outs, and security deposit recovery.
• Consumer Protection Project Legal services addressing garnishments, debt collection lawsuits, student loan issues, auto sale fraud, repossessions, creditor harassment, and Chapter 7 bankruptcy for low-income individuals facing exploitative financial practices.
• Health & Wealth Legal services supporting Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments and appeals, estate planning (Wills, Health Care POAs, Financial POAs, Final Disposition), and pardon applications to strengthen family and neighborhood stability.
• Immigration Services Legal advice and representation on asylum applications, work permit issuance, and deportation issues for immigrants seeking a new beginning in Milwaukee.
• Community Redevelopment Legal services focused on residents of Milwaukee's near north and south side neighborhoods, providing legal guidance around housing security, business development, and financial stability where clients live, work, and gather.
• Family Court Guardians ad Litem (GALs) Court-appointed attorneys representing the legal best interests of children as determined through investigation and court process in family law matters, including custody and placement disputes when parents cannot agree.
• Children's Court Guardians ad Litem (GALs)

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 6,000+ eligible families and individuals per year

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Lead partner with Legal Aid Society in creating the EvictionFree MKE Right to Counsel program. The three-year pilot program launched in 2021 after Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley signed legislation establishing Right to Counsel for eviction cases.
• Rental Housing Resource Center (Community Advocates Building)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to host monthly Eviction Sealing Clinics at 728 North James Lovell Street location to help individuals remove past evictions from CCAP searches. Walk-ins welcome with appointments preferred.
• von Briesen & Roper, S.C.secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenters with Legal Aid for 'Starting Your Business: 10 Steps to Success' seminars and Free Business Seminars to support entrepreneurship in the community.
• Metcalfe Park Community BridgessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for legal and financial wellness clinics where Legal Aid attorneys present on topics including estate planning, consumer debt, housing law, and pardon applications.
• Marquette Volunteer Legal CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImmigration-focused partnership providing Power of Attorney services at Wisconsin Hispanic Scholarship Foundation/Mexican Fiesta Offices. Also hosts clinics at House of Peace and United Community Center.
• Wisconsin Hispanic Scholarship Foundation / Mexican Fiesta OfficessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost site for immigration-focused Know Your Rights events and Power of Attorney services provided by Legal Aid attorneys.
• Hmong American Friendship AssociationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for immigration Know Your Rights panel discussion on deportation concerns featuring Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Milwaukee County DA, and other officials.
• Marquette University Law SchoolsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host for Balancing the Scales podcast featuring discussions on legal and social issues affecting Milwaukee community.
• Bader PhilanthropiessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPodcast guest featured on Balancing the Scales episode discussing the role of local philanthropy in supporting the nonprofit community.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Legal Aid Society of New York: The largest U.S. legal aid organization, offering comprehensive civil legal services across housing, family, immigration, and consumer law. Comparable as a multi-practice public interest law firm serving low-income residents through staff attorneys, court-based offices, and grant funding.

Direct peers

• Chicago Legal Aid (Legal Aid Chicago): Direct Midwest comparable providing free civil legal services to low-income residents with similar practice areas (housing, family, consumer). Operates as a nonprofit legal aid society with comparable grant funding model and courthouse-adjacent office footprint.
• Legal Aid Society of Cleveland: Ohio-based legal aid society providing free civil legal services to low-income residents with practice areas overlapping Eviction Defense, Consumer Protection, Family Law, and Immigration. Most structurally comparable peer in terms of Midwestern legal aid society model.

Regional players

• Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services: Comparable legal aid arm embedded within a larger social services agency. While overlapping in mission, scope and funding structure differ; relevant for benchmarking nonprofit legal aid delivery model and integrated social services approach.

Others

• Legal Services Corporation (LSC): Federally funded nationwide umbrella funder for civil legal aid programs. While not a direct peer (it funds rather than delivers), Legal Aid Society's operations align closely with LSC grantee model and could be eligible for comparable federal funding streams.
• Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinic: Law school-affiliated clinic operated by Marquette University in Milwaukee. Existing partnership (Power of Attorney, immigration clinics) makes this a meaningful ecosystem peer, though its delivery model (volunteer-attorney supervision) and scale differ substantially.
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee: Faith-based social services organization with overlapping clientele and complementary immigration services. Functions as both a referral source and ecosystem peer given shared community footprint and overlapping client base.

Emerging players

• Community Justice Inc. Wisconsin-based nonprofit providing legal services focused on immigrant communities. Relevant adjacency for the 2023-launched Immigration practice, with possible overlap or referral potential for asylum/deportation cases in the Milwaukee region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LASMilwaukee
• Facebookfacebook.com/LegalAidMKE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/legal-aid-society-of-milwaukee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee