A Message from the Presidents of the Boston Bar Association and the Boston Bar Foundation

Dear Colleagues,

We need your help to address an urgent problem in our justice system.

Judges tell us of a significant increase in the numbers of pro se litigants who struggle to navigate a legal system designed for people represented by counsel. And recent severe budget cuts at legal services organizations serving the Greater Boston area have made the problem worse. The very concept of access to justice is directly threatened.

This is why we are asking you to make a generous gift today to the Boston Bar Foundation’s (BBF) Edward M. Casey Fund. The Casey Fund was established in 1977 specifically to provide grants for the delivery of legal services to the poor. 100 percent of your gift will go directly to legal aid programs in our community.

The BBF has earned a reputation as a knowledgeable and prudent grant-making organization, and will ensure that your gift is used to support programs best-equipped to handle the legal needs of clients in situations more desperate than most of us can imagine.

Legal services programs are more hard-pressed today than ever before to meet the needs of growing numbers of clients. Because of declining interest rates on IOLTA accounts and a substantial reduction in transactions that generate IOLTA deposits, there is a serious shortfall in the amount of funding generated from this once reliable system. Since 2007, IOLTA funds available to grant to legal service organizations have fallen by over 68%. That is why we are calling on the private bar to take action today.

We appreciate your unwavering commitment to legal aid for those who need it most. Please make your donation to the Edward M. Casey Fund now. Click here to donate online or mail your check, made payable to The Boston Bar Foundation Casey Fund to P.O. Box 845680, Boston, MA 02284.

Thank you for your generosity.

With all good wishes for a happy holiday season,