Alabama Law Foundation Awards 2010 IOLTA Grants

A reality for all citizens
The Alabama Law Foundation recently announced its yearly IOLTA (Interest on Lawyer's Trust Accounts) grants to programs committed to the foundation's mission of making access to justice a reality for all of Alabama's citizens. As Alabama's major grant-maker for legal aid, the Alabama Law Foundation annually distributes 80 percent of IOLTA funding to programs that provide legal aid to citizens who cannot afford an attorney. Other award categories are improving the administration of justice and supporting law-related education for the public.

What to do and how it works
IOLTA is the financial foundation for the Alabama Law Foundation. The IOLTA program allows attorneys to convert their commingled client trust accounts to interest-bearing accounts. This interest then is disbursed to the Alabama Law Foundation, and a grants committee distributes the funds to law-related charities across Alabama. IOLTA became mandatory in 2008. The increased revenue has helped meet the dramatic need for legal services in the continuing economic downturn. IOLTA grants increased from $680,000 in 2009, to a total of $919,000 for 2010.The grants are divided into three sections: legal aid, administration of justice and law-related education.

From a law school clinic to the YWCA
Programs that provide legal services for the underserved collectively received IOLTA grants totaling $774,000. Legal Services Alabama (LSA) provides legal aid to economically disadvantaged citizens throughout Alabama. LSA received a $318,000 grant to target the current unmet legal need. The Alabama State Bar Volunteer Lawyers Program, which refers cases directly to lawyers in 64 counties and coordinates over 1,000 volunteers, received a $90,000 IOLTA grant. The Mobile Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Program refers cases to 650 attorneys who provide free legal services to low-income clients in Mobile; the program was awarded a $70,000 grant. The Birmingham Volunteer Lawyers Program, which refers cases to 770 attorneys in the Birmingham area, received a $100,000 IOLTA grant. The Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama received a $50,000 grant to continue providing low-cost, quality legal and immigration services to low-income immigrants. At the University of Alabama Law School, the Civil Law Clinic provides legal assistance to a variety of clients. The clinic's $66,000 grant is earmarked for a staff attorney to supervise law students who provide free legal assistance to victims of domestic violence and participate in a yearly divorce clinic. The YWCA of Central Alabama received $80,000 for its "Justice on Wheels" program to provide legal services to isolated victims of domestic violence
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Six programs receive grants for administration of justice
Projects in the category of "Administration of Justice" received IOLTA grants totaling $135,000. The Equal Justice Initiative of Alabama, which assists attorneys appointed to capital cases in the post-conviction stage and supplies some representation to indigent defendants, received a $70,000 IOLTA grant. The Georgia Innocence Project works to exonerate wrongly convicted prisoners through DNA testing. Alabama is one of three states not currently served by an Innocence Project; a $10,000 IOLTA grant helps Georgia's Innocence Project expand its operations to Alabama. The Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice $10,000 IOLTA grant is targeted toward supporting Constitutional reform, opposing payday loans and developing a victim outreach program. The Alabama CASA Network supports CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates) and trains volunteers to serve as advocates for abused and neglected children in court. The $20,000 IOLTA grant helps hire an operations director. Lauderdale County Family Court received a $20,000 IOLTA grant to supplement a co-parenting program to help couples facing divorce resolve conflicts regarding visitation and other issues before they require court involvement. A $5,000 grant enables the Madison County Volunteer Mediators Program to train volunteers to work as community mediators to help people settle disputes and avoid going to court.

High school students focus of law-related education
In the category of law-related education, The Alabama Center for Law & Civic Education received an IOLTA grant for $10,000 to support their "Play by the Rules" program that educates high school students about the law and their legal responsibilities.

Since the IOLTA program was established in 1987, the Alabama Law Foundation has awarded $13 million in grants. Through the mandatory IOLTA program, the Alabama Law Foundation can increase funding for legal aid programs and help build a stronger, more democratic society by making access to justice for all citizens in Alabama a reality.

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