CASDA director appointed to state justice commission

Kelly Burger, director of the Center Against Sexual and Domestic Abuse, was recently appointed by Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle to set on the statewide Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission.

The new commission is charged with exploring ways to overcome roadblocks encountered on a daily basis by low-income Wisconsin residents coping with consumer, housing, public benefit, domestic and other civil legal issues.

A report – “Survey of Judges on the Impact of the Economic Downturn on Representation in the Courts” – released earlier this year by the American Bar Association Coalition for Justice, revealed that judges nationwide are seeing growing numbers of pro se (self represented) parties appearing in their courtrooms as the recession continues to take its toll on household budgets.

A majority of the responding judges also said that both the parties representing themselves and the courts were negatively impacted by this trend.

One of the goals of the new Wisconsin commission is to reduce this burden by encouraging a more coordinated approach to meeting the needs of low income litigants, thereby maximizing limited legal assistance options for individuals who lack sufficient resources to retain counsel.

Other key Access to Justice Commission goals include: educating the public about the growing challenge Wisconsin faces in meeting the legal needs of low-income persons; increasing funding for civil legal assistance; coordinating support for self-represented litigants; and improving access for people with limited English fluency.

The Center Against Sexual and Domestic Abuse (CASDA, Inc.) has been providing quality comprehensive services to victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse for more than twenty years. Kelly Burger has been employed by the non-profit organization nineteen years and has served as executive director for the past ten.

Tags: community, casda, superior, family, health