Bar Foundation's Grants in Action
/The Fayette County Bar Foundation’s mission is to raise and contribute monies to local organizations or projects which offer legal representation to the indigent; provide needed education to area residents on the legal system; or which otherwise elevates the reputation of lawyers in our community. Since its formation in 2006, the Fayette County Bar Foundation has given a total of $229,230 in grants to worthwhile organizations like Fayette County Pro Bono; Legal Aid of the Bluegrass (for its Domestic Violence Advocacy program); Maxwell Street Legal Clinic (legal representation of the local immigrant community); Children’s Law Center/Institute for Compassionate Justice (for representation of children); Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), and the Henry Clay Center for Statesmanship. It has helped the local John Rowe Chapter of the National Bar Association deliver breakfast to children at Winburn Elementary during CATS testing. It has supported local bankruptcy lawyers providing financial literacy to area high school seniors through the CARE program. It aided law enforcement and social workers to come together for educational seminars on human trafficking.
Below are pictures from the Grandparents as Parents conference which is held annually and which has received several grants from the Foundation. This conference provides much needed education from family law attorneys and social workers for grandparents acting as primary caregivers to children.
Also pictured is one of this year’s grant recipients, the Kids Court during Civics Week at the Lexington Children’s Museum. During Civic Week lawyers spoke to the kids about the three branches of government, and the children elect one of their peers to represent them in naming a new school. The representatives make their case to the public and a vote is taken. The children thus learn first-hand about representative democracy. They also learn to advocate for one side in a courtroom dispute in Kids Court, using Humpty Dumpty, Cruella Deville or Buzz v. Woody from Toy Story. Parents and children interact together on these cases, and as pictured there is a bench for the judge, two attorney stands, a witness stand and a jury box.
We need your help to continue the Fayette County Bar Foundations’ mission and good works. Please join us as an individual Fellow (a contribution of $1000 which can be made over time as shown below), a Sustaining Fellow (for any current Fellow, you can continue to help the Foundation by contributing $100 a year); or as Sustaining Firm (which depending on the size of the firm, may become a sustaining firm for between $1000-2500). Below is a pledge form which lists the giving levels. Any and all contributions may be made payable to the Fayette County Bar Foundation and sent to the Fayette County Bar Association.
Kid's Court
Grandparents as Parents Conference