Connecticut Bar Foundation Inc

TO FUND LEGAL SERVICES FOR THE POOR AND DEVELOP PROGRAMS TO ENHANCE UNDERSTANDING OF THE LAW IN CONNECTICUT.

COURT FEES GRANTS-IN-AID AND JUDICIAL BRANCH GRANT FOR CIVIL LEGAL REPRESENTATION -- IN AN EFFORT TO REPLACE DRASTICALLY REDUCED IOLTA/IOTA REVENUE, THE CONNECTICUT STATE LEGISLATURE PASSED CERTAIN COURT FEE INCREASES EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2009, JULY 1, 2012, JULY 1, 2014 AND JULY 1, 2016. UNDER THE COURT FEES GRANTS-IN-AID PROGRAM, THE JUDICIAL BRANCH TRANSFERS THE REVENUE FROM THE FEE INCREASES TO THE CBF, WHICH DISTRIBUTES THE FUNDS PURSUANT TO SECTION 51-81 C OF THE CONNECTICUT GENERAL STATUTES TO CURRENT IOLTA/IOTA GRANTEES FOR THE PURPOSE OF FUNDING THE DELIVERY OF LEGAL SERVICES TO CONNECTICUT'S LOW-INCOME POPULATION. LEGISLATION ENACTED IN 2016 ADDED THE CLIENT SECURITY FUND AS A POTENTIAL NEW FUNDING SOURCE, BUT FUNDING HAS NOT YET MADE AVAILABLE FOR THIS PURPOSE.

THE INTEREST ON LAWYERS' TRUST ACCOUNTS (IOLTA) AND INTEREST ON TRUST ACCOUNTS (IOTA)-- THE PROGRAM FUNDS LEGAL SERVICES TO THE POOR AND LAW SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS BASED ON FINANCIAL NEED. THE PROGRAM FUNDED ELEVEN NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING LEGAL SERVICES TO THE POOR, AND GRANTS FOR LAW SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS TO THE THREE CONNECTICUT LAW SCHOOLS. THE FOUNDATION'S EFFORTS HELP THOUSANDS OF LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS OF CONNECTICUT BY ENABLING THEM TO OBTAIN CRITICAL LEGAL INFORMATION, ADVICE, AND LEGAL REPRESENTATION. ONE OF THE INNOVATIVE WAYS THE CBF ACCOMPLISHES THIS IS BY HELPING TO FUND THE CTLAWHELP.ORG WEBSITE WHERE LOW INCOME PEOPLE CAN FIND ASSISTANCE WITH THIER LEGAL NEEDS AND TOOLS FOR SELF RESPRESENTATIONS. THE FOUNDATION HELPS THE MOST VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, INCLUDING CHILDREN WHO ARE ABUSED, NEGLECTED AND OTHERWISE DISADVANTAGED, DISABLED PEOPLE, ELDERLY VICTIMS OF CONSUMER FRAUD AND OTHER ABUSE, IMMIGRANTS, MANY OF THEM CHILDREN, LOW-INCOME FAMILIES TRYING TO PROTECT THEIR RIGHT TO SAFE HOUSING AND FIGHT UNLAWFUL EVICTIONS, AND THOSE VICTIMIZED BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

THE JAMES W. COOPER FELLOWS PROGRAM WAS FOUNDED TO PROMOTE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION AND THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM AMONG THE CITIZENS OF CONNECTICUT. THE FOUNDATION SPONSORS PROGRAMS FOR THE LEGAL COMMUNITY AND THE PUBLIC. THESE PROGRAMS ARE MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROSITY AND COMMITMENT OF HUNDREDS OF FELLOWS WHO VOLUNTEER, PLAN, AND SUPPORT THEM FINANCIALLY. SYMPOSIA AND SPEAKER SERIES THE FELLOWS PRESENTED A WIDE VARIETY OF PROGRAMMING THAT ADDRESSED TIMELY AND TOPICAL ISSUES IN 2021. WITH THE CONNECTICUT BAR ASSOCIATION, THE CONNECTICUT BAR FOUNDATION CONTINUED TO CO-SPONSOR THE CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLEY SPEAKER SERIES ON RACIAL INEQUALITY. THE SERIES PRESENTED EIGHT VIRTUAL FORUMS FOR THE LEGAL COMMUNITY IN 2021, WHICH EXPLORED ISSUES OF RACIAL INEQUALITY AND SYSTEMIC RACISM. ADDITIONAL EVENTS ARE SCHEDULED THROUGHOUT 2022. THE FELLOWS ALSO SPONSORED SIX ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS IN 2021, AT WHICH SMALL GROUPS OF FELLOWS DISCUSSED THOUGHT-PROVOKING ISSUES INVOLVING THE PRACTICE OF LAW. ROUNDTABLES ARE TYPICALLY HELD IN PERSON THROUGHOUT THE STATE, BUT DUE TO THE ONGOING COVID-19 PANDEMIC, ALL OF THE 2021 ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS WERE CONDUCTED VIRTUALLY. IN 2012, THE CONNECTICUT BAR FOUNDATION ESTABLISHED THE HON. MARK R. KRAVITZ SYMPOSIUM SERIES ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE. THIS IS AN ONGOING SERIES IN MEMORY, AND TO CELEBRATE THE LEGACY, OF U.S. DISTRICT COURT JUDGE KRAVITZ, AN EXTRAORDINARY LAWYER AND JUDGE. THE FOURTH EVENT IN THE SERIES WAS PRESENTED IN 2021 AND FOCUSED ON "THE ARC OF THE RULE OF LAW." THE NEW SERIES "CONSERVATORSHIP IN CONNECTICUT" KICKED OFF IN 2021, WITH A WELL-ATTENDED VIRTUAL WEBINAR. THE SERIES, CREATED BY THE FELLOWS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE OFFICE OF THE PROBATE COURT ADMINISTRATOR AND THE CONNECTICUT LEGAL RIGHTS PROJECT, INC., CAPITALIZES ON THE TIMELINESS OF ISSUES SURROUNDING CONSERVATORSHIP. EVENTS ADDRESSED THE CONCEPT OF CONSERVATORSHIP, THE EVOLUTION OF RELEVANT STATUTES OVER TIME, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR FURTHER REFORM. SEVERAL ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS ARE PLANNED FOR 2022. ADDITIONALLY, THE FOUNDATION SPONSORED SEVERAL EVENTS IN THE "UNDERSTANDING HUMAN TRAFFICKING" SERIES. PRESENTED JOINTLY BY THE FOUNDATION, THE CONNECTICUT BAR ASSOCIATION'S COMMITTEE ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING, AND QUINNIPIAC'S HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION PROJECT, THIS ONGOING SERIES EXPLORES THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN TRAFFICKING VICITMS AND THE LEGAL SYSTEM. STUDENT PROGRAMS THE FELLOWS ALSO RUN SEVERAL PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS. THE FOUNDATION CONTINUED ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HERBERT AND NELL SINGER FOUNDATION TO ADMINISTER THE SINGER CONNECTICUT PUBLIC SERVICE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM. THE SINGER FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2017 TO OFFER RECENT LAW SCHOOL GRADUATES AN OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE WORKING FOR CONNECTICUT CIVIL LEGAL AID ORGANIZATIONS, PROVIDING LEGAL SERVICES TO UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS OF CONNECTICUT. TWO NEW FELLOWS BEGAN FELLOWSHIPS IN 2021, AND TWO FELLOWS FROM 2020 CONTINUED THEIR FELLOWSHIPS FOR A SECOND YEAR. IN THE FALL OF 2021, THE SINGER SELECTION COMMITTEE REVIEWED SIX NEW APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2022-2023 FELLOWSHIP YEAR. TWO APPLICANTS WERE OFFERED FELLOWSHIPS AND BOTH ACCEPTED; THEY ARE SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN THE FALL OF 2022. THE FELLOWS HELD THE TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL QUINTIN JOHNSTONE STATEWIDE HIGH SCHOOL ESSAY CONTEST IN 2021. THIS YEAR THE CONTEST RECEIVED 138 ESSAYS, WHICH WAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF SUBMISSIONS IN THE HISTORY OF THE CONTEST. THE ESSAYS WERE SCORED BY OVER 140 VOLUNTEER JUDGES, ATTORNEYS, AND LAW SCHOOL PROFESSORS. FUNDS AND AWARDS FINALLY, THE FOUNDATION ADMINSTERS SEVERAL FUNDS AND AWARDS THAT FURTHER ITS MISSION OF PROMOTING EQUAL ACCESS TO JUSTICE. THE FOUNDATION CONTINUED THE CONNECTICUT INNOCENCE FUND PROJECT TO ASSIST EXONEREES WHO HAVE BEEN RECENTLY FREED FROM PRISON BASED ON PROOF OF ACTUAL INNOCENCE BY PROVIDING BRIDGE LOANS. THE DAVID PELS HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION FUND WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2019 THROUGH GENEROUS DONATIONS FROM FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF ATTORNEY DAVID PELS. SINCE ITS FORMATION, THE FUND HAS PROVIDED ELEVEN GRANTS TO PREVENT EVICTIONS THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN HOMELESSNESS FOR THE TENANTS. THE FOUNDATION CONTINUED TO ADMINISTER THE HONORABLE WARREN EGINTON MEMORIAL FUND. THIS LAW SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM WAS ESTABLISHED POSTHUMOUSLY BY FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO HONOR JUDGE EGINTON'S LEGACY OF MENTORING OTHERS IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION, WITH SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED IN 2020 AND 2021. IN 2021, THE FOUNDATION AWARDED ITS THIRD ANTHONY M. FITZGERALD AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE TO THE NEW HAVEN LEGAL ASSISTANCE ASSOCIATION. THE AWARD RECOGNIZES THE DEDICATED SERVICE AND OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS OF A CONNECTICUT NONPROFIT LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDER OR LEGAL AID ATTORNEY(S). THE AWARD PROGRAM WAS STARTED WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE PARTNERS OF CARMODY TORRANCE SANDAK & HENNESSEY LLP UPON THE RETIREMENT OF ANTHONY FITZGERALD.

IN AN EFFORT TO INCREASE PRO BONO REPRESENTATION OF CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS WHO CANNOT AFFORD AN ATTORNEY, THE CONNECTICUT BAR FOUNDATION CREATED A TWO-YEAR SUPPLEMENTAL IOLTA GRANT PROGRAM TO FUND A PRO BONO MANAGER AT AN IOLTA-RECIPIENT LEGAL AID ORGANIZATION IN THE STATE. THE FIRST GRANT AWARD UNDER THIS PROGRAM WAS GRANTED IN 2021. THE CONNECTICUT GENERAL ASSEMBLY ALSO ENACTED TWO NEW PROGRAMS IN 2021 TO INCREASE ACCESS TO CIVIL LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO CANNOT AFFORD AN ATTORNEY, WHICH THE CONNECTICUT BAR FOUNDATION IS ADMINISTERING. ONE PROGRAM, ENACTED IN PUBLIC ACT 21-34, CREATES A STATEWIDE RIGHT TO COUNSEL FOR TENANTS AT RISK OF EVICTION AT NO COST TO THE TENANT. THE OTHER PROGRAM, ENACTED IN SECTION 15 OF PUBLIC ACT 21-78, ESTABLISHED A GRANT PROGRAM TO FUND INCREASED ACCESS TO LEGAL REPRESENTATION FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPRESS AN INTEREST IN APPLYING FOR A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER UNDER SECTION 46B-15 OF THE CONNECTICUT GENERAL STATUTES IN THE JUDICIAL DISTRICTS OF FAIRFIELD, HARTFORD, NEW HAVEN, STAMFORD-NORWALK AND WATERBURY