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Bar News - June 20, 2003 NH Bar Foundation Awards $1.3 Million in IOLTA Grants THE NEW HAMPSHIRE Bar Foundation has awarded more than $1.3 million in Interest on Lawyers Trust Account (IOLTA) grants to organizations providing or facilitating access to the civil justice system for low-income people, and for educational programs operated by the NH Bar’s Law-Related Education program. The Bar Foundation this year awarded a total of $1,355,977 in IOLTA grants to various justice programs, an increase from last year’s awards of $1,314,463. The Bar Foundation’s IOLTA grants program continues to provide the majority of funding for New Hampshire civil legal aid organizations, enabling thousands to obtain access to justice. Despite overall low interest rates in the economy, revenues for the IOLTA program – which provides funding for charitable purposes from the interest earned by pooling small or very short-term deposits in lawyers’ trust accounts – did not dip in the past year. Bar Foundation officials cited the cooperation of those leadership banks, which continued to offer preferential interest rates for IOLTA deposits (see an IOLTA bank honor roll in the July 4 issue of Bar News) and suggested that revenues may have remained high because of the volume of transactions, such as refinancings, occurring in the past year. The Bar Foundation’s law-school loan-forgiveness program, recognized as a national trendsetter, received a boost in funding to $72,000. It provides a recruiting and retention tool for the state’s legal services organizations that cannot match the salaries paid to lawyers in the private sector. Through the loan-forgiveness program, attorneys working in legal services are eligible to receive law school loan repayment assistance. The Bar Foundation, at its board meeting last month, also recognized board membership changes. Richard Uchida returns to the NHBF Board of Directors after a one-year hiatus; he returns by virtue of his position as vice president of the NH Bar Association for FY 2004. Uchida has served on the Foundation board a total of six years in various positions, including as treasurer for three years. Leaving the board is Peter Hutchins, whose one-year term by virtue of his position as Bar immediate past president has come to a close. Martha Van Oot will take Hutchins’ seat as immediate past president. Following is a list of the IOLTA grant awards by the NH Bar Foundation for the fiscal year June 1, 2003 to May 31, 2004. INTEREST ON LAWYERS’ TRUST ACCOUNTS (IOLTA) GRANTS Civil Legal Services to the Disadvantaged To preserve NHLA’s ability to work for equal justice. After four years of virtually flat funding, NHLA requested a 15 percent increase over last year’s IOLTA grant. New Hampshire Pro Bono Referral Program General program funding to support efforts to assure New Hampshire’s poor have access to high- quality civil legal services through the coordination of volunteer private attorneys. Law School Loan Assistance Program To preserve and expand the innovative Law School Loan Assistance Program. Pierce Law Civil Practice Clinic To help fund the law school clinic, which provides direct representation of indigent clients in a variety of civil legal matters, as well as training law students to handle the legal needs of indigent and under-represented clients, and to instill in students the ethic of pro bono service. Legal Advice & Referral Center To go toward operating funds to ensure LARC’s staff receives pay and benefits commensurate with other legal service organizations in New Hampshire. Also, LARC seeks funds for membership dues to two national legal services organizations: Management & Information Exchange (MIE) and National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA). Additionally, because LSC prohibits payment of non-mandatory bar association dues with its funds, a small amount is earmarked for NHBA section and local bar membership dues for LARC attorneys. Reduced-Fee Referral Program Funding to support the Bar Association’s efforts to meet the growing demand for reduced-fee legal services by lower-income families who cannot afford standard legal fees. The requested funds will be used to pay for overall program operations and staffing. New Hampshire Pro Bono Referral Program Funds to continue the work of the Domestic Violence Emergency (DOVE) Project. This unique project provides free, expedited legal representation for low-income victims of domestic violence and serves as a clearinghouse for inquiries about legal resources. Public Education on the Courts and Legal Matters Law-Related Education Program General support to continue core programming, including the Mock Trial competition, We the People competition and A Lawyer and Judge in Every School program. Total: $1,355,977
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