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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 20, 2005
Contact:
Katherine L. Garrett 202.467.3750 ext. 56
D.C. Bar Foundation Awards Record $1.1 Million
The D. C. Bar Foundation announced today that it has awarded $1,100,000 in grants this year in support of legal services for the poor in the District of Columbia. This is the largest amount the Foundation has awarded in its 27 year history.
"The continuing generosity of District of Columbia lawyers has enabled the Foundation to provide an unprecedented – and sorely-needed – level of funding for legal services in our community," said D.C. Bar Foundation President Robert N. Weiner. "We hope that in the coming year, even more law firms will recognize the special obligation of lawyers to ensure access to justice and will help achieve that goal through contributions to the Bar Foundation."
This year, the Foundation funded thirty legal services projects—bringing legal services to the homeless, to children, the elderly, the working poor, immigrants, the disabled, and many more of the least fortunate members of our community. In addition, the Foundation awarded a technology grant that supports the entire legal services and pro bono legal community. The Foundation bases its awards on detailed applications from the legal service projects. It performs on-site reviews of all applicants, studies the financial resources of the projects, and analyzes the relative legal needs of the community. A list of current grant recipients is attached.
"While we are delighted to increase our grants to a record level when continued funding for legal services programs is scarce, we recognize that many legal needs go unmet," said Foundation Executive Director Katherine L. Garrett. "Our analysis shows that despite the hard work and sacrifices of the legal services providers in the District, despite the great pro bono tradition of our Bar, and despite the generosity of our law firms, we meet only a small fraction of the legal needs of the poor. We look forward to working with all sectors of the legal and business community in the coming year to meet this challenge and help close that gap."# # #
The D.C. Bar Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in 1977 by the D.C. Bar to provide lawyers and law firms with a vehicle for funding legal services for underprivileged residents of the District of Columbia. Contributions come from individuals, law firms and other corporate donors, and from the Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts (IOLTA) Program, established in 1985 by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.