Louisiana Bar Foundation Recovery, Rebuilding, Rebirth Annual Report for the year ending June 30, 2006 Table of Contents 2005-06 Board of Directors .................... 1 Past Presidents .................................... 1 President’s Message.............................. 2 Mission 2005-06 Committee Chairs ..................... 3 The Louisiana Bar Foundation exists to preserve, honor and improve our system of justice by funding, Disaster Relief Donors .......................... 4 developing or otherwise promoting efforts which enhance the legal profession, increase public understanding of the legal system and advance the Disaster Related Programs ..................... 7 reality of equal justice under the law. IOLTA Program ................................. 7 Objectives 2006 Legal Services Grants .................... 8 • Assure every person in Louisiana reasonable access to the justice system regardless of mental IOLTA Honor Roll .............................. 9 or physical condition, economic status or type of legal problem. Kids’ Chance Scholarship Program ........ 10 • Identify, acquire, preserve, enhance and exhibit Annual Fellows Gala ........................... 10 documents, items, photographs and other types of media items of significant historical interest to the Awards ............................................ 11 Louisiana legal community and to the general public. Scholar-in-Residence Program ............... 11 • Promote public awareness and understanding of the legal system and its goals, as well as the rights Fellowship......................................... 12 and obligations of all parties involved. Statements of Financial Position ............. 13 • Raise the ethical and professional standards of the lawyers who operate the legal system. The Foundation strives to present a complete and accurate list of donors. • Establish and administer endowment funds, This publication reflects disaster relief support from Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Account (IOLTA) July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006. funds and other funds which can provide If a mistake has been made in your listing, significant impact in fulfilling the goals of the we sincerely apologize and ask that you contact Louisiana Bar Foundation. Danielle Marshall at 504.561.1046 or [email protected] • Support and enhance legal education in so that we may correct our records. Louisiana. 601 St. Charles Avenue • New Orleans, Louisiana 70130 • Improve the efficiency of the justice system 504.561.1046 • fax 504.566.1926 while protecting the right to a full and fair www.raisingthebar.org procedure. Louisiana Bar Foundation Louisiana Bar Foundation “The tradition of service by lawyers is as old as the law itself. We need not be reminded that the practice of law was considered a privilege long before it became a paid profession, so that the concept of service is innately part of our tradition.” - Dermot S. McGlinchey 2005-06 Board of Directors Past Presidents President Patrick S. Ottinger LSBA House of Donna D. Fraiche Ottinger Hebert, L.L.C. Delegates Rep. 2003-04 Baker Donelson, Lafayette Thomas A. Casey, Jr. John G. Swift Bearman, Caldwell Jones, Walker, Lafayette & Berkowitz, PC Drew A. Ranier Waechter, New Orleans Ranier, Gayle and Poitevent, Carrere 2002-03 Elliot, L.L.C. & Denegre, L.L.P. Harry S. Hardin III Vice President Lake Charles New Orleans New Orleans John W. “Jock” Scott Attorney at Law Herschel E. Richard, Jr. LSBA Access to 2000-02 Alexandria Cook, Yancey, King & Justice Committee Suzanne M. Jones Galloway Hon. Sheral Kellar Covington Secretary-Treasurer Shreveport Chief Judge, Elwood F. Cahill, Jr. Department of Labor 1998-00 Sher Garner Cahill John B. “Spike” Workers Compensation Garland R. Rolling Richter Klein Scofield Division Metairie & Hilbert, L.L.C. Scofield, Gerard, Baton Rouge New Orleans Singletary & 1996-98 Pohorelsky LSBA Young Lawyers Cyrus J. Greco LBF Immediate Past Lake Charles Section Designee Baton Rouge President Laura N. Sylvester David F. Bienvenu E. Wade Shows City of Alexandria 1995-96 Simon, Peragine, Smith Shows, Cali, Alexandria Hon. Eldon E. Fallon & Redfearn, LLP Berthelot & New Orleans New Orleans Morris, LLP. Member-at-Large Designee Baton Rouge 1993-95 Hon. Marc T. Amy William Shelby *LeDoux R. Provosty, Jr. Louisiana Court of LSBA President McKenzie Alexandria Appeal, 3rd Circuit Frank X. Neuner, Jr. Taylor, Porter, Brooks Abbeville Laborde & Neuner & Phillips, LLP 1991-93 Lafayette Baton Rouge Calvin C. Fayard, Jr. Marcel Garsaud, Jr. Attorney at Law LSBA President-Elect District Judges New Orleans Denham Springs Marta-Ann Schnabel Association Schnabel & O’Bryon Designee 1989-91 Brace B. Godfrey, Jr. New Orleans Hon. Michael G. Paul W. Wright Adams and Reese LLP Bagneris Houston, Texas Baton Rouge LSBA Immediate Past Civil District Court, President Orleans Parish 1985-89 William N. Norton Michael W. McKay New Orleans *Dermot S. McGlinchey Baker, Donelson, Stone Pigman Walther New Orleans Bearman, Caldwell & Wittmann LLC Berkowitz, PC Baton Rouge New Orleans *deceased 2005-06 Annual Report President’s Message Donna D. Fraiche The year 2005 was a very challenging one. In the early morning hours of Monday, August 29, Hurricane Katrina slammed ashore just east of New Orleans. The loss of lives, the displacement of many people as well as property damages are unlike anything ever seen before in the United States. Our homes were destroyed, families torn apart and our lives as we knew it were changed forever. Three short weeks later, Hurricane Rita hit central and southwest Louisiana. It was essential to the state’s recovery that the Louisiana Bar Foundation quickly rebound following the disasters. As a statewide funder of legal services, we believed serving our mission was more important and necessary than ever before. Because of the unprecedented commitment of our volunteers, the Grants Committee was able to meet and timely submit their 2006 funding recommendations to the Board of Directors in early November. We were able to stay on schedule with the 2006 grants process and award $1,477,471 to 49 grantees statewide. This amount represents an increase of $500,000 over the previous year’s grants. Throughout this trying time, I am proud of the instrumental role the Foundation played in responding to disaster related legal service needs throughout the state. With the LSBA, we established the Disaster Relief Fund, Louisiana Legal Assistance Call Center Fund and Legal Infrastructure Recovery and Rebuilding Fund. The Disaster Relief Fund provided immediate relief to assist attorneys who lost their offices and/or homes in the storm. The fund provided grants of $500 to affected attorneys and established business centers for attorneys who needed work stations, internet access, printers, copiers and fax. We distributed more than 800 grants to displaced attorneys; established two business centers in New Orleans and another in St. Bernard Parish; and re- employed attorney positions with the Orleans Indigent Defender Office. The Louisiana Legal Assistance Call Center Fund established the Call Center located at the LSU Law Center. The Call Center continues to provide legal information, advice or assistance to hurricane victims and has responded to more than 15,000 requests. The Call Center is open 5 days a week and is staffed by attorneys, law students and support staff. The Foundation made an initial donation of $70,000 to establish the fund and received a JEHT Foundation grant to fund the Call Center for the first year. Currently we are focusing on long term recovery and rebuilding of Louisiana’s legal infrastructure. A joint task force of the Foundation and the Bar Association formed to develop criteria, policies and a long-term plan of action. The Legal Infrastructure Recovery & Rebuilding Fund was established by the Foundation’s Board of Directors to receive Louisiana Bar Foundation monetary donations for recovery efforts identified and prioritized by this task force. This fund has provided grants to the Orleans Indigent Defender Program and funded a study 2005-06 Committee Chairs by the National Legal Aid Defender Association to address right to counsel issues of incarcerated citizens. Annual Gala Kids’ Chance Mathile W. Abramson Charles R. Davoli The end of the bar year came with a few silver linings. In addition to the tremendous outpouring of assistance from our Janet Boles Gary Knoepfler colleagues, we have been successful with grant writing opportunities. One such opportunity was a grant award from Budget/Investment Membership Equal Justice Works which provides funding for two Elwood F. Cahill, Jr. Ben Miller AmeriCorps attorneys to assist with legal services to disaster victims. Working out of the LSU Law Center, they collaborate with community legal aid providers and law Education Past Presidents schools to develop quality pro bono opportunities and Prof. Kathryn V. Lorio John G. Swift programs; recruit and train law students to volunteer with pro bono projects; and provide ongoing management and Executive Public Information coordination of those pro bono projects and volunteers. Donna D. Fraiche Suzanne M. Jones In May, the Foundation received a $400,000 grant, our largest grant in history, from the Louisiana Disaster Governance Resource Development Recovery Foundation. The funds were used for sub grants to Judge Eldon E. Fallon Calvin C. Fayard, Jr. legal service agencies, Call Center marketing and a project focusing on legal services data collection and analysis. We Iolta Administration/ Nominating also received