Angela Schultz

Angela F. Schultz serves as the Assistant Dean for Public Service at Marquette University Law School, where she spearheads efforts to advance access to justice through the creation, implementation, and oversight of comprehensive pro bono programs.

A dedicated advocate for public service and professionalism, Angela fosters a culture of service within the law school community. She supervises multiple legal clinics each week, mentors law students and volunteer attorneys, and actively encourages engagement in public interest work. Working alongside the team in the Office of Public Service, Angela curates a diverse array of pro bono opportunities for law students every semester. Among these, the Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinics (MVLC) stands out as the flagship initiative, providing free legal services to over 5,000 individuals annually through the efforts of law students and volunteer attorneys.

Angela also coordinates Marquette Law School's partnership with the Milwaukee Justice Center (MJC), where the MVLC operates both in the Milwaukee County Courthouse and via the Mobile Legal Clinic. She co-developed the innovative "Lost in the Law" experiential learning activity, an immersive exercise designed to cultivate empathy and deepen students' understanding of systemic barriers to civil justice.

As the advisor to the Marquette Law School Public Interest Law Society (PILS), Angela supports student leaders by mentoring them, assisting with strategic planning, and connecting them with public interest attorneys and summer fellowship opportunities. Under her leadership, PILS has expanded its reach, inspiring a lifelong commitment to public service and social justice among law students. Angela also plays a key role in selecting recipients for the PILS Summer Fellowship program, which supports students pursuing careers in public interest law.

Angela is recognized as an expert in the ethical considerations of brief legal advice in Wisconsin and advises regularly on best practices in this area. As a practicing attorney, she fulfills her own pro bono commitment by representing clients in probate matters as a volunteer attorney with Legal Action of Wisconsin.

Angela also administers the Howard & Phyllis Eisenberg Loan Repayment Assistance Program, which supports Marquette Law School graduates pursuing public interest careers, alleviating the financial burden associated with student loans.

From 2013 to 2024, Angela represented Marquette Law School on the Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission, a body established by the Wisconsin Supreme Court to enhance access to civil legal aid and improve the administration of justice. During her tenure, the Commission launched groundbreaking initiatives, including the Wisconsin Free Legal Answers online platform, which connects low-income individuals with volunteer attorneys, and conducted statewide studies that spotlighted the justice gap in Wisconsin.

Angela's influence extends nationally through her active involvement in the Association of American Law Schools’ Section on Pro Bono and Access to Justice and her leadership role in the pre-conference planning committee for the American Bar Association’s National Equal Justice Conference. These connections enrich Marquette law students' opportunities to engage in public service beyond Milwaukee.

Within Milwaukee, Angela leads the Coalition for Access to Legal Resources, a group of legal aid providers who gather quarterly to learn from each other, identify avenues for potential collaboration, and discuss new trends in access to civil justice.

Angela believes that professional identity formation is a critical component of legal education. Through pro bono work, students develop a sense of purpose, ethical awareness, and a commitment to serving the public good. These experiences not only enhance practical legal skills but also instill the values of empathy, professionalism, and social responsibility. By engaging in pro bono service, law students gain invaluable insights into the challenges faced by underserved communities, fostering a lifelong dedication to justice and equity. Angela’s work ensures that Marquette Law School students graduate with a strong foundation in these principles, prepared to make a positive impact in their legal careers. In this blog post, she writes about pro bono service being a potential positive contributor to volunteers' wellbeing. And in this blog post, she writes about the role we each play in identifying and interrupting bias in pro bono clinic settings.

Before joining Marquette, Angela practiced elder and disability law, focusing on long-term care and estate planning. Her career in advocacy was shaped by more than a decade of work with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Portland, Oregon, which instilled in her a profound commitment to social justice.

Education

• J.D., Lewis & Clark Law School, Portland, OR
• B.A., Anthropology and Spanish, Minor in Music, Knox College, Galesburg, IL

Selected Professional Activities & Honors

• Legal Action of Wisconsin (Volunteer Lawyer, 2011–present)
• Wisconsin Equal Justice Fund (Board Member, 2023–present)
• Association of American Law Schools (Chair, Section on Pro Bono & Access to Justice, 2022)
• Wisconsin Access to Justice Commission (Appointee, 2013–2024)
• Fellow, American Bar Foundation
• Milwaukee Bar Association E. Michael McCann Distinguished Public Service Award (2022)
• LOTUS Legal Clinic (Board Member, 2019–2022)
• Marquette University Difference Maker Honoree (2019)
• State Bar of Wisconsin Innovator Award (2019)
• Wisconsin Law Journal Women in the Law Award (2016)