Highlights
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Centro Legal Attorney Serves CommunityCentro Legal, a free legal clinic, employs attorneys to fight many barriers the underprivileged in Milwaukee face in the maze of Milwaukee’s legal system.
Jason Mishelow, senior attorney and chief financial officer at Centro Legal, has combined his passion for human interest and education as a lawyer into a career that helps needy families in Milwaukee. Centro Legal, located on Milwaukee’s south side, provides bi lingual legal services for people who cannot afford an attorney. Four full time attorneys specialize in family law, misdemeanor criminal defense, and domestic violence issues. Mishelow said the charitable spirit of Centro Legal and his interest in serving his native Milwaukee was what drew him to the position 10 years ago. "I've always been into public interest. That’s where all my internships were during college and during law school,” MIshelow said. “I started calling service organizations in town, and [Centro Legal] was a good fit." Mishelow’s duties as an attorney include meeting with clients who come to Centro Legal with concerns and assessing how their problems can be addressed. He said that often, clients are in need of more than just legal help. "We don’t pretend that we can solve all of these people's issues,” Mishelow said. “That's why we partner with so many other organizations. We can only do what we are the best at." Many of the cases that Mishelow and other attorneys at Centro Legal deal with involve domestic violence issues. For these clients, Centro legal is able to waive their fee through a grant from the United Way. Mishelow added that these cases can be particularly tough, particularly when involving children. He said that he tries to facilitate ways for families to make plans, such as custody arrangements, without prolonging the conflict with a trial. "Any good attorney will admit that we cannot create a plan as well as the family can. Sometimes they just need the extra help when they are unable to do it,” Mishelow said. Mishelow added that seeing the success that his clients find through Centro Legal makes the job worthwhile. "There was a situation where the parties came to the United States and the husband said, ‘Get out, and don't try and see your kids again,’” he said. “We were able to help her present a case that showed what really happened, and she was able to win full custody." Centro Legal serves hundreds of Milwaukee families per year. Appointment times are competitive - some people try for weeks to get one of the 23 one - hour time slots per week. Mishelow said that this speaks to the need Milwaukee families face. "That's 1,000 people a year if everyone shows up. Even with that, we're not coming close to solving the needs that are out there,” he said. My other story on Centro Legal's executive director was published by the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Network. |