Grant Aims to Improve Access to Justice

Friday, August 19th, 2022

VPLC is the recipient of a $32,500 grant from the Virginia Law Foundation. Funds will be used to host the 2022 Annual Statewide Legal Aid Conference. The education and training event is known as one of the best civil poverty-law conferences in the U.S.

VLF grants awarded to two dozen organizations increase access to legal support for the underserved, while promoting understanding of the Rule of Law in society.

The Legal Services Corporation’s 2022 Justice Gap Study found that 92 percent of low-income Americans do not get the legal assistance they need.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Katie Arata
Sr. Director of Development & Philanthropy
karata@vacle.org
615-818-8451

VIRGINIA LAW FOUNDATION AWARDS $550,000 in 2022 GRANTS TO LAW-RELATED PROJECTS IN VIRGINIA

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA — August 17, 2022 — The Virginia Law Foundation announces its 2022 grant recipients and awards nearly $550,000 to 24 organizations. Since the establishment of its grants program in 1984, the Virginia Law Foundation has distributed more than $27.5 million in grants to initiatives and nonprofits throughout Virginia aligning with the Foundation’s three-pronged mission:

  • To increase access to justice by improving access to legal support for the underserved and to support those offering competent, pro bono or affordable legal representation
  • To foster an appreciation for and understanding of the Rule of Law in society
  • To educate the general population on the Rule of Law, regardless of age, economic status or cultural heritage, and to cultivate the next generation of citizen lawyers

“The Virginia Law Foundation is simply a reflection of our wonderful and generous donors,” says Ray White, Executive Director of the Virginia Law Foundation. “We are only as good as the reasons we give them to invest in what we do, and in this record-setting year for contributions, they were much of the reason we could make so many grants in support of programs enlisting lawyers who provide no or low-cost legal services to thousands of Virginians who can’t afford a lawyer.”

The Foundation’s 2022 grants support a variety of projects and organizations, including legal aid nonprofits, continuing legal education programming, medical-legal partnerships, public service internships for law students and many other relevant causes. Many of this year’s grant recipients are responding directly to an increased need for legal aid due to challenges created by the multi-year COVID-19 pandemic and the growing justice gap, which represents the difference between the legal needs of low-income Virginians and the resources available and accessible to meet those needs.

According to the Legal Services Corporation’s 2022 Justice Gap Study, 92% of low-income Americans do not receive any or enough legal help for their civil legal problems, and nearly half of these individuals do not seek assistance due to financial concerns. Not only have individuals faced a myriad of financial, health and housing crises caused by the pandemic, but aiding organizations have experienced new challenges in reaching and serving indigent communities due to new barriers presented by the pandemic. Several 2022 grantees are innovating to break those barriers by developing stronger hybrid models, bilingual resources and enhanced digital platforms to increase access to their services.

“This year’s grant recipients serve many diverse communities and regions of the Commonwealth and also draw our collective attention to our state’s profound need for adequate and accessible legal aid,” shares Colleen M. Quinn, chair of the Foundation’s Grants Committee. “Our annual grants program allows us to play an essential part in promoting the important work and services that these deserving grant recipients provide. Their work supports indigent people, victims of domestic abuse, underserved communities, immigrants, elders, and anyone in need of legal services. Our commitment to upholding the Rule of Law and creating equitable access to justice is more affirmed than ever by the good work of our 2022 grant recipients.”

To honor and award this year’s grants, the Virginia Law Foundation resumes its annual Grants Luncheon later this month on August 30 in Richmond.

2022 VIRGINIA LAW FOUNDATION GRANT RECIPIENTS

  • Appalachian School of Law — $25,000
  • Blue Ridge Legal Services — $25,000
  • Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition — $20,000
  • CancerLINC — $10,000
  • Charlottesville Albemarle Bar Association — $12,500
  • Drive-To-Work — $25,000
  • Fairfax Law Foundation — $25,000
  • Freekind — $30,000
  • Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation — $25,000
  • Jazz4Justice — $8,000
  • John Marshall Center for Constitutional History & Civics — $30,000
  • Just Neighbors — $20,000
  • Library of Virginia Foundation — $30,000
  • Montpelier Foundation — $25,000
  • Randolph-Macon College — $14,569
  • Resolution Virginia — $8,000
  • Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society — $18,000
  • VA Civics — $20,000
  • Virginia Hispanic Chamber Foundation — $20,000
  • Virginia Judges & Lawyers Assistance Program — $15,000
  • Virginia Law Schools, Public Service Internships — $60,000
  • Virginia Poverty Law Center — $32,500
  • Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance — $25,000
  • Virginia Victim Assistance Network — $25,000.

To learn more about the Virginia Law Foundation’s 2022 grant recipients, visit this page.

 

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