The Virginia Law Foundation has announced its 2020 grant recipients.
Each year since 1984, the Virginia Law Foundation awards grants to initiatives and nonprofits throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia which advance the foundation’s three-pronged mission:
- To offer improved access to legal assistance for the underserved, either directly or by facilitating the coordination of integrated networks of competent, affordable legal representation,
- To cultivate an appreciation and understanding of the Rule of Law in society as a foundation of peace, stability and prosperity,
- To provide education in support of the above ideals.
VLF grants fund a variety of projects and organizations, including legal aid nonprofits, continuing legal education conferences, medical-legal partnerships and public service internships for law students. According to VLF Executive Director Ray White, this funding is especially crucial to this year’s grantees, as the current unprecedented pandemic directly affects their clientele as well as some donors’ ability to give.
According to a Virginia State Bar Public Information Webinar conducted prior to the coronavirus pandemic, there is only one legal aid lawyer for every 7,237 Virginians who cannot afford to pay legal fees. In addition, two out of three low-income households will most likely face at least one legal problem a year, according to a national survey conducted by the Legal Services Corporation. The current health and financial crisis is exacerbating the already considerable need for access to justice, and proving especially challenging for Virginians who have lost their jobs.
Attorney John D. McGavin, Esq., who chairs the VLF Grants Committee, said, “In addition to the regular challenges we face, many of our friends and neighbors are having a very hard time due to the coronavirus. Now, more than ever, the Virginia Law Foundation has been a generous benefactor to support the Rule of Law, access to justice and legal education,” McGavin continued by saying, “We celebrate the work of the grant recipients who are contributing so much to our community. Our partnership with these organizations helps make our state a better place to live for all of our citizens.”
2020 Virginia Law Foundation Grant Recipients
- 2020-2021 We the People, Virginia Civics Education — $15,300
- “Best Practices” Pro Bono Program, Charlottesville Albemarle Bar Association — $25,000
- Capital Defense Workshop, Virginia Bar Association — $35,000
- Children’s Program, AYUDA — $10,000
- Civil Legal Assistance to Low-Income Seniors, Blue Ridge Legal Services — $25,000
- Eviction Diversion Program, Greater Richmond Bar Foundation — $35,000
- Hill Tucker Pre-Law Institute, Virginia State Bar — $15,000
- Immigration Legal Services Program, Northern Virginia Family Service — $20,000
- Jazz4Justice — $5,000
- Justice for Human Trafficking Victims, Virginia Beach Justice Initiative — $40,000
- Justice in the Classroom Program, John Marshall Foundation — $24,050
- Northern Virginia Pro Bono Law Center, Law Foundation — $25,000
- Project for Empowerment of Survivors, Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance — $25,000
- Providing Access to Legal Services for Cancer Patients, CancerLINC — $10,000
- Public Service Summer Internship Program, Virginia Law Schools — $50,000
- Rule of Law Day, Virginia Holocaust Museum — $4,800
- Rule of Law Project, Center For Teaching The Rule of Law — $10,000
- Rural Immigration Legal Services Program, Just Neighbors — $30,000
- Southwest Virginia Training Initiative, Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society — $15,000
- Statewide Legal Aid Conference, Virginia Poverty Law Center — $26,175
- Uncontested Divorce Toolbox for Pro Bono Lawyers, Virginia Legal Aid Society — $30,000
- Virginia High School Mock Trial, Virginia Law-Related Education Institute — $20,000
- Virginia Justice Program, Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition — $30,000
- VJLAP Wellness Conference, Virginia Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program — $10,000
More information on these grants is available at www.virginialawfoundation.org/grants/grants-in-2020.
The Virginia Law Foundation accepts donations to its grants fund year-round and guarantees 100 percent of every donation is allocated directly to the grants program.
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