THE CHICAGO BAR FOUNDATION 2002 & 2003 ANNUAL REPORT h TOGETHER we are MAKING A DIFFERENCE 321 SOUTH PLYMOUTH COURT, 3RD FLOOR, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60604 PHONE: (312) 554-1204 ~ FAX: (312) 554-1203 ~ WEB SITE: WWW. CHICAGOBARFOUNDATION. ORG OUR MISSION the chicago bar foundation, the charitable arm of the chicago TABLE OF CONTENTS LETTER FROM OUR PRESIDENT 2 bar association, improves access to justice for people who are WHO WE ARE AND WHO WE HELP 3 impacted by poverty, abuse, and discrimination. HIGHLIGHTS FROM FY 2002 AND 2003 4 our mission is grounded in the belief that access to justice is HOW WE HELP central to our democratic society and that the concerted Supporting Legal Aid Organizations 7 efforts of a few can make a real improvement in the lives Our Grants 8 Organizational Support Grants 9 of many. Projects/Emerging Issues Grants 13 we accomplish our mission by awarding grants and other assistance Special Grants 14 to legal aid and public interest organizations, encouraging the Leadership, Resources and Assistance 15 Helping Ensure a New Generation of Legal Aid Lawyers 16 legal community to contribute time and money, functioning as a Promoting Pro Bono 17 clearinghouse for information and resources, and providing Increasing Access to the Court System For the Public 20 leadership in the community on access to justice issues. Promoting Broader Community Support for Access to Justice 21 HOW YOU HELP The Many Ways that Thousands Support the CBF 25 The Abraham Lincoln Circle of Justice 26 Life Fellows of the CBF 27 Our Many Law Firm and Corporate Supporters 30 OUR FINANCIAL STRENGTH 32 OUR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS BOARD 34 OUR LEND A HAND PROGRAM 36 OUR BOARD AND STAFF 38 FRIENDS, Thanks to your generous support, THE established the Leonard Jay Schrager who we are THE CHICAGO BAR FOUNDATION improves access to justice for people CHICAGO BAR FOUNDATION completed another Award. The award will be given each who are impacted by poverty, abuse, and discrimination. remarkably successful two years. We all year to an attorney working in academia Our mission is grounded in the belief that access to justice is central to can take pride in the fact that the CBF who, like the award’s namesake, has made our democratic society and that the concerted efforts of a few can make continues to grow by every measure, outstanding contributions to our community. a real improvement in the lives of many. which has allowed us to substantially We were thrilled to receive major gifts increase our support to the legal aid and from Kimball and Karen Anderson, the We accomplish our mission by awarding grants, encouraging the legal public interest law organizations that do late Judge Abraham Lincoln Marovitz, community to contribute time and money, functioning as a clearinghouse such important work in our community. and the Estate of Milton Gray. for information and resources, and providing leadership in the community. As you read this 2002/2003 Annual Report, Moving forward, your support is more you will see the CBF’s comprehensive important than ever, and every contribution who we help THE CHICAGO BAR FOUNDATION’ S comprehensive access to justice efforts efforts to improve access to justice are —from the $20 CBA dues check off to a help thousands of low-income and disadvantaged residents of the Chicago making a real difference. With your major gift to establish a special fund— area community by enabling them to obtain critical legal information, support, the CBF awarded more than makes a difference. While we have advice and assistance. Through our leadership and support of over forty $500,000 in grants each of the past continued to increase our charitable legal aid and public interest law organizations, our efforts help the most two years to more than 40 legal aid and giving and leadership efforts, the unmet vulnerable members of our community, including: public interest law organizations. We also legal needs of the less fortunate remain expanded our efforts to promote pro daunting. We need everyone’s help to Ł Abused, neglected and otherwise disadvantaged children; bono initiatives and to help ensure a new keep up with the legal aid demands in Ł Woman and children victimized by domestic violence; generation of legal aid lawyers. our great city. Ł Elderly victims of consumer fraud and other abuse; Over the past two years, we completed a I hope you will take a moment to read major strategic planning process that led through this Annual Report to see all the Ł Immigrants (many of them children) seeking political asylum to more effective grant guidelines and great things we are doing at the CBF. after being persecuted in their home countries; procedures and improved fundraising Thanks again for all of your contributions Ł Disabled people fighting for inclusion and independence; programs; launched a new CBF Fellows —together we are truly making a difference Board; and hired a great new associate in the lives of thousands of less fortunate Ł Low-income families struggling against powerful slumlords; director, Leslie Corbett. In addition, the residents in our community. Ł Working poor individuals striving for economic self-sufficiency and; CBF continued to build a broader coalition of supporters by anchoring the Equal Ł Nonprofit community organizations working to improve our Justice Illinois Campaign and partnering neighborhood. with a number of other foundation, corporate, and government funders. EILEEN M. LETTS With the generous support of the lawyers President at Sachnoff & Weaver, the CBF also The Chicago Bar Foundation CBF ANNUAL REPORT / PAGES 2-3 CBF ANNUAL REPORT / WWW.CHICAGOBARFOUNDATION.ORG the late and beloved judge abraham lincoln marovitz left a gift of over $1 million to the cbf, half of which he designated to set up a new scholarship for needy law students interested in pursuing a career in legal aid or public interest law. highlights Ł Permanent office space In the spring of 2003, the CBF purchased permanent office space on for the CBF the 3rd floor of the CBA building at 321 South Plymouth Court, and we moved into our new home in July. Stop by to see us anytime! New CBF Website In early 2003, the CBF launched its new website, www.chicagobarfoundation.org. We hope you will find the site to be a good resource for information about the CBF and the many legal aid and public interest law organizations we support. You now can also conveniently donate to the CBF or sign up for one of our popular special events online. Judge Marovitz leaves The CBF received a gift of over $1 million from the late Judge a major gift for the CBF Abraham Lincoln Marovitz. In accordance with the Judge’s wishes, the CBF will use half of this generous gift to set up a new public interest law scholarship for needy students pursuing a career in legal aid or public interest law. The CBF also set aside a portion of this gift as an endowment for our Lend a Hand Program, which we are transitioning to an independent entity that will be renamed in honor of Judge Marovitz. New Public Interest With a major contribution from the Anderson family, the Foundation Law Fellowship created the Kimball R. and Karen G. Anderson Public Interest Law Fellowship to help ensure a new generation of outstanding legal aid and public interest lawyers. The Anderson Fellowship will provide loan repayment assistance to young attorneys who are pursuing legal Ł Ł the late milton gray left a major gift of over leonard schrager, the inspiration for the aid and public interest law careers at a CBF funded organization. $60,000 to the cbf to endow an annual grant leonard jay schrager award of excellence for legal projects to help children and established in 2002, is pictured with cbf Illinois Technology Center for The ITC, an unprecedented collaboration of the CBF, the Lawyers young people. president eileen letts. Law and the Public Interest Trust Fund of Illinois, IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law and several THE CHICAGO BAR FOUNDATION other legal aid, law school and funding organizations, has received Continued Growth 2000 - 2003 endowment national acclaim and already has become an integral part of the legal THE CHICAGO BAR FOUNDATION aid delivery system in Illinois. We encourage you to check out the ITC’s Record Grants 1999 - 2003 grants $7,000,000 three websites, www.illinoisprobono.org, www.illinoislawhelp.org 6,516 and www.illinoislegalaid.org. The CBF’s contributions for this $600,000 572 6,000,000 5,751 groundbreaking project were made possible by a major gift from 529 5,103 500,000 5,000,000 the Estate of George Brode. 480 4,589 Pro Bono Marketing Project Over the past two years, the CBF launched a successful partnership 400,000 4,000,000 297 with Legal Marketing with the Chicago Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association (LMA) 300,000 257 3,000,000 Association to provide pro bono marketing assistance and training to local legal aid and public interest law organizations. In the Spring of 2003, the 200,000 2,000,000 LMA’s Chicago Chapter received the Chapter of the Year Award from 100,000 1,000,000 the national Legal Marketing Association in recognition of the success of this project. 0 0 year 99 00 01 02 03 year 00 01 02 03 CBF ANNUAL REPORT / PAGES 4-5 CBF ANNUAL REPORT / WWW.CHICAGOBARFOUNDATION.ORG supporting legal THE CBF CARRIES OUT ITS MISSION TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO JUSTICE aid organizations primarily through its strong support of over 40 legal aid and public interest law organizations in the Chicago area. This support takes many forms, including grants, other resources and assistance, and leadership in a number of helpful collaborative initiatives that address common needs and collective challenges facing these organizations.