The Milwaukee County Clerk of Circuit Court’s Office and the Milwaukee Justice Center, a public-private partnership facilitating self-help legal services in the Milwaukee County Courthouse, will announce the opening of the Milwaukee County Courthouse Navigator Program at a press conference on Wednesday, October 4.
The Milwaukee County Courthouse Navigator Program will be operated through a newly-established AmeriCorps partnership administered by the Milwaukee Justice Center. The Navigator Program will assign AmeriCorps staff members to physically accompany self-represented litigants as they navigate the three-to-five-step filing process for court documents, to make sure they are going to the right rooms, in the right order, with the right forms. Additionally, the Courthouse Navigator Program will staff an accessible information desk on the G level of the Courthouse, where members of the public can receive assistance in navigating the facility and locating the services they need. The information desk will be located immediately inside the Courthouse entrance facing N. 10th Street.
“Access to justice matters,” said Milwaukee County Clerk of Circuit Court Anna Maria Hodges, whose office provides administrative oversight and support to the Milwaukee Justice Center. “Members of our community visit the Courthouse Complex in connection with life-altering matters. They deserve the maximum possible support in navigating a multi-building complex that teems with activity throughout the day. I applaud the Milwaukee Justice Center for advancing hands-on customer assistance helping members of the public, including self-represented filers, navigate the halls of justice.”
“Everyone who visits the Milwaukee County Courthouse deserves ready access to the resources and services they need,” said Mary Ferwerda, Executive Director of the Milwaukee Justice Center. “I am grateful to AmeriCorps for their proactive partnership in establishing this exciting new initiative. Working together, we will take tangible steps to increase public access to justice in the Milwaukee County Courthouse Complex. I also want to thank the dedicated staff of the Milwaukee Justice Center who have played a critical role in formulating and developing the Courthouse Navigator Program.”
A press conference sharing additional details about the Milwaukee County Courthouse Navigator Program will be held on Wednesday, October 4 at 4:00 p.m. The press conference will be held on the G level of the Milwaukee County Courthouse. Members of the media are encouraged to arrive by 3:45 to secure space and seating.
Please call (414) 278-4190 or email cti.mail@wicourts.gov with inquiries regarding the press conference.