Columbus Bar Foundation Funds

The Jack R. Alton Family Fund currently recognizes outstanding lifetime achievement by local trial advocates. Recent recipients of the Alton Award were Rick Marsh and Bradley Hummel. The Fund will also support the legal education of academically promising minority law students; and support the work of volunteer lawyers who visit sick and dying colleagues.

This fund was created to provide aid and comfort to lawyers who are seriously ill and to provide appropriate recognition to deceased members of the central Ohio legal community.

Supports the Chester Family Professionalism Institute.

Supports the philanthropic works of the Columbus Bar Association Alliance such as Kids Voting, the OWjL Mock Trial program and the National Center for Adoption Law and Policy.

Provides seed money and ongoing support to the philanthropic interests of the Columbus Bar Association.

Supports innovative programming such as Project Dignity (holistic domestic violence representation) and the Child Advocacy Project (securing educational and health benefits for children) at the Legal Aid Society of Columbus and/or other entities, which provide legal services to the poor of central Ohio.

John C. Elam exhibited an abiding interest in encouraging pro bono activities by lawyers and law firms and also donated his own time and talents in a generous manner to many activities promoting the common good and ensuring that the system of justice was available to all. In honor of his memory, Virginia Elam and the Elam Family are desirous of continuing to encourage such activities by recognizing exceptional pro bono legal work in the State of Ohio.

Provides ongoing financial support to the Law and Leadership Institute, a state-wide initiative in collaboration with the legal community that inspires and prepares students from underserved communities for post-secondary and professional success through a comprehensive four-year academic program in law, leadership, analytical thinking, problem solving, writing skills and professionalism.

Supports the Columbus Bar Association’s CLE program in the areas of estate planning and probate law.

The Judicial Legacy Fund will accept gifts in memory of members of the judiciary upon their death or retirement from the bench, or to commemorate their significant service to the community. All donated funds will be used by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees to advance justice in central Ohio in ways not adequately supported by the current governmental funding of the court system.

This fund was created in 2010 to nurture excellence in Franklin County Court operations, with a special emphasis on programs that promote collaboration between the courts and the bar. The Fund will be used to support operational improvements, operations assessments, judicial and staff development programs, and other initiatives aimed at helping the courts to better serve the people of central Ohio.

The Law Library Fund was created to increase access to the justice system by providing support for assisted pro se especially in the areas of sealing criminal records and landlord-tenant disputes. The Law Library Fund will also be used to support the Columbus Law Library which continues to be a resource to the public as well as the legal community.

The Lawyer to Lawyer Fund was created by a local lawyer to provide much needed financial assistance to central Ohio lawyers who are temporarily or permanently disabled due to illness or an accident or who have suffered some other type of adversity. Based on previous requests for financial assistance, it is anticipated that individualgrants will be less than $10,000 and could include such needs as payment of health insurance premiums for a lawyer who is no longer able to work due to an accident or illness; paying the monthly office rent until a disabled attorney can return to work; establishing temporary offices because of fire or flooding; or hiring an attorney to review files and close cases for an attorney who has been mentally or physically disabled.

Supports the infrastructure needed to efficiently provide quality pro bono legal services, including facilities, training, and litigation support.

Provides books, computers and other educational materials to the Franklin County Juvenile Court and Detention Facility.

Supports the Columbus Bar Association’s diversity in the profession initiative.

This fund is a need based scholarship for women and minority law students.

The Women Lawyers of Franklin County Fund provides law school scholarships.