like an axe, the law can be used as a weapon or a tool.
Our mission is to provide:
For clients: Dignified legal representation/agency that effectively affirms their personhood and value.
For staff: A dignified environment for supporting the above in line with their talents and passions, affirming their own personhood and worth.
For all involved: Reliable, trusted legal information targeted to individual context, as well as the above, according to shared values that affirm participants in their curation and application.
At Small Axe Cooperative, we know the power of law. We show our clients and the public how to wield this power in order to protect their communities, themselves, and build lasting structures.
Values & Who We Serve
Small Axe’s target clientele are oppressed people – people who have intentionally been set back and set upon by the state. Generally, this includes racial, ethnic, and religious minorities, poor people, and others who otherwise would not have access to quality legal representation. As a part of our mission of building less extractive relationships and increasing legal acumen, we provide educational programming in each program area and upon custom request. We utilize a popular education framework to continue to develop the breadth of our educational capabilities and capacity to empower the Madison community. We want to serve the communities that helped empower us by providing the expertise and education needed to wield the law with skill, confidence, and power.
OUR PRACTICE AREAS
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Legal services for small businesses, nonprofits, cooperatives, and people looking to start their own entity.
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Will drafting, trust creation, designation of power of attorney for healthcare and finances, end of life requests, and probate
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Changing name on government and legal identification. Advocacy for gender non-conforming and trans individuals going through name change process.
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Small Axe attorneys subcontract with the State Public Defender to take criminal defense cases for indigent clients.