Mound City Bank recognized for civil legal aid support

The Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation (WisTAF) recognized Mound City Bank for its longstanding support of civil legal aid. Desperately needed during the pandemic, civil legal aid ensures people can access legal representation, advice, and information when they face life-altering challenges. The Wisconsin Supreme Court established WisTAF to help meet this need by administering the state’s Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program.

Mound City Bank has volunteered as a “Prime Partner” in the IOLTA program for the entire duration of the Prime Partner program, which hit the 10-year mark Jan. 1.

“Long before COVID-19 increased so many people’s needs related to employment, safety, health, and housing, a select group of banks in Wisconsin were addressing these issues by supporting civil legal aid,” said April Barker, president of the WisTAF Board of Directors. “These Prime Partners help people remove barriers to gainful employment, secure their safety from abusers, access unemployment and veterans’ coverage — and deal with other life-altering challenges. I hope many more partners will join us in funding legal help for people in need.”

Civil law covers a myriad of situations with direct impacts on people’s fundamental needs. In civil cases, unlike criminal court, there is no constitutional guarantee of an attorney. Without one, people often struggle to navigate the complexities of the legal system, making it hard to achieve stability or experience justice.

To solve this issue, nonprofit law firms and other partners offer civil legal aid: online information, attorney advice, and legal representation for people who couldn’t afford to pay for a lawyer on their own. Funding for this piece of the justice system has been accomplished through a variety of private and public efforts.

The IOLTA program uses a collaborative arrangement between financial institutions and lawyers to fill a portion of the need. The program revolves around the trust accounts attorneys use to hold funds for clients. When client funds are not large enough or would not remain in trust long enough to generate interest for the client, attorneys pool the funds into a single, larger IOLTA account with greater interest potential. Banks remit interest earnings to WisTAF for use administering grants that offer civil legal aid in every part of Wisconsin.

Prime Partners are banks which go above and beyond the IOLTA program’s threshold participation requirements, offering higher levels of interest on IOLTA accounts as a form of community support.

“As an independent bank with deep roots here in Southwestern Wisconsin, we’re proud to be here for our customers and communities, especially during tough times. We know civil legal aid helps people be financially stable and safe. Mound City Bank is proud to have participated all these years,” said Donna Hoppenjan, Mound City Bank President & Chief Executive Officer.

People at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible to receive IOLTA-funded services.

Mound City Bank operates six branches, located in the Wisconsin communities of Platteville, Belmont, Cuba City, Mineral Point, and Mount Horeb.

WisTAF is a nonprofit organization that works with civil legal aid organizations in the state to increase access to justice. 

The foundation oversees funds and invests in services and projects to help people resolve legal problems. More information about the Prime Partner program can be found on the WisTAF website, wistaf.org.