Dear Colleagues,
We need your help to address an urgent problem in our
justice system.
Judges tell us of a significant increase in the
numbers of pro se litigants who struggle to navigate a legal system designed for
people represented by counsel. And recent severe budget cuts at legal
services organizations serving the Greater Boston area have made the problem
worse. The very concept of access to justice is directly threatened.
This is why we are asking you to make a generous gift today to the
Boston Bar Foundation's (BBF) Edward M. Casey Fund. The Casey Fund was
established in 1977 specifically to provide grants for the delivery of legal
services to the poor. 100 percent of your gift will go directly to legal
aid programs in our community.
The BBF has earned a reputation as a knowledgeable
and prudent grant-making organization, and will ensure that your gift is used to
support programs best-equipped to handle the legal needs of clients in
situations more desperate than most of us can imagine.
Legal services programs are more hard-pressed today than ever
before to meet the needs of growing numbers of clients. Because of
declining interest rates on IOLTA accounts and a substantial reduction in
transactions that generate IOLTA deposits, there is a serious shortfall in the amount
of funding generated from this once reliable system. Since 2007,
IOLTA funds available to grant to legal service organizations have fallen by
over 68%. That is why we are calling on the private bar to take action
today.
We appreciate your unwavering commitment to legal aid for
those who need it most. Please make your donation to the Edward M. Casey Fund
now. Click here to
donate online
or mail your check, made payable to The Boston Bar
Foundation Casey Fund to P.O. Box 845680, Boston, MA 02284.
Thank you for your generosity.
With all good wishes for a happy holiday season,
 |
 |
Lisa C. Goodheart
President
Boston Bar Association |
John D. Donovan, Jr.
President
Boston Bar Foundation |