Improving Access to Justice 2020 Annual Report
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IMPROVING ACCESS TO JUSTICE 2020 ANNUAL REPORT President’s Message A Foundation of Innovation • renters with pandemic-related housing in a Year of Crisis issues, trying to avoid homelessness; 2020 ended far differently than it began. • consumers facing unmanageable debt We kicked off the year with a high-spirited collection issues; Fellows Dinner, hugs and handshakes all around for our Lifetime Achievement • emergency legal assistance for victims Award winner Bob Haig, enjoyable of domestic violence sheltering in place conversations with Chief Judge Janet with their abusers; and DiFiore, and Chinese New Year fortunes • those seeking sustenance income, health traded amongst ourselves. We ended it care, and food stamps. on a much more somber note, having lost President Lesley Rosenthal several Fellows to illness, conducting our The Foundation also awarded NYSBA addresses NYSBA House of business entirely remotely, and planning support for its pathbreaking Unemployment Delegates the “virtual” 2021 dinner. Insurance Pro Bono Assistance Network Chief Judge of the United States Circuit project. With the arrival of a global pandemic Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, that would send millions to hospitals Also in 2020, the Foundation added its I presented a summary of Foundation’s and millions more to the unemployment voice to the national reckoning with racial work to the Circuit Judicial Conference, lines, the Foundation acted quickly, injustice and set forth an action plan. With detailing how our grants enhance women’s raising nearly $100,000 for a COVID- pro bono research assistance by Cahill access to justice in our state, through 19 Emergency Legal Relief Fund. Sparked Gordon & Reindel, our Racial Justice assistance with domestic violence, family, by the energy and humanitarian concern Working Group’s report affirmed that and immigration matters and more. of our board, propelled by the round-the- racial justice is a core element of a rule- The Foundation’s spirit of nimbleness and clock efforts of our extraordinary staff, and of-law society. The report, unanimously innovation matches that of our grantees. fueled by the generous support of Sections adopted by the board, detailed egregious Annually we provide close to three- and individual donors, the Foundation has structural inequities and identified eight quarters-of-a-million dollars in seed monies funded 27 grants for essential programs areas in which the Foundation may make to pathbreaking legal services programs all around the state, including: productive investments to advance racial addressing the most urgent legal needs of equality, including through education, • seniors, medically fragile individuals, our times. Our online giving campaigns healthcare, and housing and homelessness and first responders seeking advanced assist victims of natural disasters, migrant planning, such as wills, living wills, health initiatives. children separated at the border, and care proxies and powers of attorney; veterans in need. This year we also Our strong bond of trust with Chief Judge revitalized our website, making our DiFiore inspires us to continue to administer • small businesses working to preserve case for support ever more compelling, and grow the Catalyst program, this employment critical to the fabric of illustrative, and easy to navigate. neighborhoods by renegotiating year alone providing 60 funded summer commercial lease and rent modifications; fellowships to students from every law Our founders 70 years ago and our school in the state to learn the ropes of leadership since then have bequeathed • HIV-positive and LGBTQ immigrants public interest law. This year we also to us a solid economic base from which seeking release from detention because administered 15 Section fellowships and to do the public good. Our partners at of the virus; scholarships. the NYSBA, the Sections, the House of Delegate members, and Fellows provide • laid-off Latinx workers compromised by 2020 also marked the centenary of additional support upon which to build limited access to relief programs; women’s suffrage. At the invitation of the 2 | The New York Bar Foundation 2020 Annual Report Table of Contents 2 | President’s Message 4 | Message to The Fellows 5 | Thank You 6 | Grant Highlights 10 | Gratitude in Action 13 | Fellows Elect New Leadership 15 | Meet the Fellows 16 | Welcome New Fellows 17 | Thank You to the Fellows 19 | New Website 20 | Foundation Board Welcomes Two New Members 21 | Legacy Members our efforts. Our endowment provides a James Barnes and Vice Chairs Lauren permanent source of funding for new Wachtler and Don Doerr, the Fellows 22 | Foundation Rallied For Frontline programs and initiatives. Our recent have revitalized district leadership and Workers, the Unemployed, re-launching of the Legacy Society provides engaged Fellows across the state. and Others Afflicted by the Pandemic bequests and planned gifts that build upon 24 | Circle of Giving Members that nest egg. Prudent investment of our With this, my final Annual Report message endowment has generated healthy returns as President, I look back upon my three 25 | The Fellows by Judicial District years as President and 12 years of service in 2020, helping enlarge the corpus 30 | Foundation Commits to Act on Racial after our 4% spend rate for future years of on the board with gratitude and pride. Justice as Part of Its Rule of Law grantmaking. This year, we have added Please join me in thanking my immediate Efforts 38 new Fellows. We celebrated many predecessors Cris Cioffi and John Gross; 31 | Foundation Salvaged Meaningful Circle moves and welcomed inaugural in sharing my supreme confidence in my successors Carla Palumbo and Hon. Cheryl Experiences for Students in a members of our new Presidential Circle at Pandemic Summer the $75,000 level. Chambers; in expressing utter astonishment at the hard work of our peerless executive 34 | Grant Program We have also built upon our award- team of Deborah Auspelmyer and Leigh 35 | 2020 Grantees by Judicial District winning good governance practices, Dorr; and in saluting our world-class corps improving our compact and annual self- of officers and directors. It has been the 36 | Leadership and Governance evaluation measurements and enhancing privilege of a lifetime to serve with such 37 | 2020 Gifts of Distinction our bylaws to include term limits and seats great and visionary leaders in this period at the table for younger lawyers. We of challenge and progress. 41 | Remembering Fellows have introduced a matrix for assessing 42 | Program Overview existing capabilities, demographics, Warmly, and geography of our board, for our Nominating Committee to continue to diversify our directorate. The Fellows of the New York Bar Foundation continued to step up in exemplary ways. Lesley F. Rosenthal With a new leadership team of Chair President www.tnybf.org | 3 A Message to The Fellows challenge, speaks volumes to the generosity even non-attorneys steadfastly support this of the best our profession has to offer. campaign to provide help for those who have served our beloved country. Uncertain of the impact of the pandemic, we set our We reached out to you again during goals modestly, but were not surprised the early summer, when we realized when the 2020 campaign netted by far the that we would not be able to gather in highest total in its history. Cooperstown and hold our annual basket auction. Flexibility and adaptability became requirements in the past year, so we pivoted Reflection and gratitude. We are thankful for our amazing health care professionals who stood on the front lines since day 1. Your donations for We are grateful for the incredible work those truly in need of scientists to guide our communities and during a time of likely discover a vaccine. personal challenge, speaks volumes to the As I conclude my first year as Fellows Chair, I sincerely appreciate each of you, for the Sending along my best to all of the Fellows generosity of the best sacrifices you have made this year, and your for a happy and healthy 2021! In light of our profession has to willingness to meet the challenges faced by the hardship endured in 2020 across the those in need of legal services. globe, I believe the right place to begin this offer. message is with reflection and gratitude. Through challenging and difficult times, we Thank you! often see stronger bonds forged through fire. by issuing a challenge to the judicial districts across the state for a special fundraising campaign that would support our ongoing As Chair of the Fellows, I have personally COVID-19 fund. As the months progressed, witnessed the outpouring of support offered it became ever apparent that our friends at by you, the champions of our Foundation, legal services organizations across the state during this pandemic, and it has been were seeing unique legal challenges arise immense. Each time the Foundation asked James R. Barnes in their communities due to the pandemic. Chair of the Fellows for help to assist others, the Fellows time Once again, the Fellows in every judicial and again stood resolute, answering the district responded to our challenge, again call and then some. Looking back at exceeding expectations. the spring of 2020, we were all facing a great unknown, including incredibly uncertain financial times. That being said, The Foundation has engaged a group of the Foundation’s call for a special grant young donors known as the Young Lawyer cycle for COVID-19 legal services relief Friends of the Foundation for several years funding was met with overwhelming support now each November to raise funds for by the Fellows. Your donations for those legal services projects specifically designed truly in need during a time of likely personal for Veterans. Over time, the Foundation has seen Fellows, young attorneys, and 4 | The New York Bar Foundation 2020 Annual Report Thank You for Changing Lives As I reflect on this year, these words of time to ask how they were, wish them well, President John F.