The Eastern District of Wisconsin has pro bono opportunities, primarily in prisoner civil rights cases. The court recruits attorneys for limited purposes, such as representing a civil pro se litigant in mediation, as well as for full representation. 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. Below are the cases that the court is currently recruiting for. For more information on a case, please contact the court's pro se staff attorneys at ProSeStaffAttorneys@wied.uscourts.gov.

The court is currently looking for pro bono volunteers for the following cases:

Discovery, Draft/Respond to Dispositive Motions, and Pursue Settlement

• Flowers v. Jeanpierre, 24-cv-726-JPS. The court is looking for a lawyer to assist an incarcerated individual in conducting discovery, drafting and/or responding to dispositive motions, and possible trial/settlement discussions in connection with an Eighth Amendment denial of medical care case.  Plaintiff alleges that Defendants delayed proper medical treatment for his serious knee injury. Please see Judge Stadtmueller's screening order for more information. (Recruiting since October 2024)

• Bowen v. Walker, et al., 23-cv-64-PP. The court is seeking a lawyer to represent a pro se plaintiff who alleges that correctional officers at the Milwaukee County Jail violated his constitutional rights when they washed an inmate covered in feces in the room adjacent to the plaintiff’s cell, resulting in contaminated water running into the plaintiff’s cell. The plaintiff alleges that correctional officers ignored his requests for them to stop filling his cell with contaminated water and ignored his requests for his cell to be cleaned, causing the plaintiff to be locked in a contaminated cell for days. The court screened the plaintiff’s complaint and is allowing him to proceed with a §1983 conditions-of-confinement claim against two correctional officers. The lawyer who accepts the appointment would engage in discovery and respond to any dispositive motions. Please see Judge Pepper’s screening order and order granting the plaintiff’s motion for appointment of counsel for more information.

• Moore v. Murphy, 24-cv-1344-SCD. The court is looking for a lawyer to assist a prisoner plaintiff in conducting discovery, drafting and/or responding to dispositive motions, and possible trial/settlement discussions in connection with an Eighth Amendment claim based on allegations that the defendant doctor sexually assaulted the plaintiff during a medical examination.  The plaintiff has significant physical limitations in connection with burn injuries that make it difficult for him to represent himself. (Recruiting since April 2025)

Trial

• Sheppard v. Korus, 22-cv-902-BHL.  The plaintiff is proceeding on Eighth Amendment claims that Defendants, corrections officers at Fox Lake Correctional Institution, were deliberately indifferent to his threats to swallow pills and to his serious medical needs. The court is requesting a volunteer attorney to assist the plaintiff with presenting his case by responding to the defendant’s pretrial report and motions in limine prior to trial, and then at trial, conducting direct- and cross-examination of witnesses, participating in a verdict and jury instruction conference, and giving an opening statement and closing argument. The trial will be scheduled to suit the parties' schedules.  This recruitment offers an opportunity to improve counsel’s trial skills while at the same time providing an important service to the parties and the court.  (Recruiting since June 2024)