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:
Mediation
- None at this time
Discovery, Draft/Respond to Dispositive Motions, and Pursue Settlement
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Moore v. Murphy, 24-cv-1344-SCD. The court is looking for a lawyer to assist a prisoner plaintiff by conducting discovery, drafting and/or responding to dispositive motions, and engaging in 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)
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Lopez v. Horne, 24-cv-1436-LA. The court is looking for a lawyer to represent a prisoner who alleges that the defendants ignored his requests for emergency medical attention regarding alleged heart failure when he was confined at the Milwaukee County Jail. The lawyer would identify the Doe defendant, engage in discovery, respond to any dispositive motions, and participate in settlement proceedings and/or trial. Please see Judge Adelman’s screening order for more information. (Recruiting since September 2025)
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Sloan v. West Allis Police Department, et al., 24-cv-546-LA. The court is looking for a lawyer to assist a non-incarcerated plaintiff by conducting discovery, drafting and/or responding to dispositive motions, and engaging in settlement discussions in connection with a Fourth Amendment excessive use of force claim. Plaintiff alleges that, following a traffic stop, state police beat and tased plaintiff. (Recruiting since September 2025)
Trial
- Nowels v. Moore, 24-cv-754-BHL. The plaintiff is proceeding on Eighth Amendment medical care, First Amendment retaliation, and state law medical malpractice/negligence claims against defendant based on his contention that defendant intentionally prescribed a medication that she knew would worsen his constipation and abdominal issues because she wanted to get back at him for filing a lawsuit against her. 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 September 2025)