CONNECTICUT BAR FOUNDATION
31 Pratt Street Suite 420, Hartford, CT 06103

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE MISSION OF THE CONNECTICUT BAR FOUNDATION IS TO FURTHER THE RULE OF LAW AND ASSIST IN EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE IN CONNECTICUT. THIS MISSION IS BASED ON THE FUNDAMENTAL PREMISE THAT THE RULE OF LAW IS ESSENTIAL TO AN ORDERLY AND JUST SOCIETY AND MUST BE AVAILABLE TO ALL, REGARDLESS OF POWER OR RESOURCES. THE FOUNDATION SERVES THIS MISSION IN PART BY WORKING TO SECURE AND ADMINISTER A RELIABLE AND SUFFICIENT FLOW OF FUNDS TO SUPPORT LEGAL SERVICES AND ACCESS TO JUSTICE FOR PERSONS OF LIMITED MEANS. THE FOUNDATION ALSO SERVES ITS MISSION BY SPONSORING PROGRAMS THAT ADDRESS MATTERS CONCERNING THE LEGAL PROFESSION, THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE AND THE ROLE OF LAW IN SOCIETY.

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 51-81C 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 BEEN 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 THEIR LEGAL NEEDS AND TOOLS FOR SELF REPRESENTATION. 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. IN 2020, THE CONNECTICUT BAR FOUNDATION DEVELOPED AND CO-SPONSORED THE CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLEY SPEAKER SERIES ON RACIAL INEQUALITY WITH THE CONNECTICUT BAR ASSOCIATION. THE SERIES INCLUDED SEVEN VIRTUAL FORUMS FOR THE LEGAL COMMUNITY THAT EXPLORED ISSUES OF RACIAL INEQUALITY AND SYSTEMIC RACISM, WITH ADDITIONAL EVENTS SCHEDULED IN 2021. SEVEN ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS WERE SPONSORED BY THE FELLOWS IN 2020, WHERE TIMELY ISSUES INVOLVING THE PRACTICE OF LAW WERE DISCUSSED. WHILE ROUNDTABLES ARE TYPICALLY HELD THROUGHOUT THE STATE, DUE TO COVID-19 THE ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS AFTER FEBRUARY 2020 WERE HELD VIRTUALLY. THE FOUNDATION CONTINUED THE CONNECTICUT INNOCENCE FUND PROJECT TO ASSIST EXONEREES WHO HAVE BEEN RECENTLY FREED FROM PRISON BASED ON PROOF OF ACTUAL INNOCENCE. THE TWENTIETH ANNUAL QUINTIN JOHNSTONE ESSAY CONTEST FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WAS HELD WITH MORE THAN 89 ESSAYS SUBMITTED, WHICH WERE SCORED BY OVER 140 VOLUNTEER JUDGES, ATTORNEYS, AND LAW SCHOOL PROFESSORS. ALSO IN 2020, THE FOUNDATION CONTINUED THE 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 FOR THE PURPOSE OF OFFERING OPPORTUNITIES TO RECENT LAW SCHOOL GRADUATES TO GAIN PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE WORKING FOR CONNECTICUT CIVIL LEGAL AID ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE LEGAL SERVICES TO THE UNDERSERVED POPULATION OF CONNECTICUT. TWO NEW FELLOWS BEGAN FELLOWSHIPS OVER THE SPRING AND FALL OF 2020 AND ONE FELLOW FROM 2019 CONTINUED THEIR FELLOWSHIP FOR A SECOND YEAR. IN THE FALL, THE SINGER SELECTION COMMITTEE REVIEWED 10 NEW APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2021-2022 FELLOWSHIP YEAR. TWO APPLICANTS WERE OFFERED FELLOWSHIPS, SCHEDULED TO BEGIN IN THE FALL OF 2021. BOTH APPLICANTS ACCEPTED. THE FOUNDATION ALSO BEGAN ADMINISTERING THE HONORABLE WARREN EGINTON MEMORIAL FUND. THE 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 THE FIRST SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED IN 2020. IN 2020, THE FOUNDATION AWARDED ITS SECOND ANTHONY M. FITZGERALD AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE TO THE CONNECTICUT VETERANS LEGAL CENTER. 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. THE DAVID PELS HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION FUND WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2019 THROUGH GENEROUS DONATIONS FROM FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF ATTORNEY DAVID PELS. IN 2020, PRIOR TO THE MORATORIUM ON EVICTIONS DUE TO THE COVID CRISIS, THE CBF PROVIDED SIX GRANTS TO PREVENT EVICTIONS THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN HOMELESSNESS FOR THESE TENANTS.

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