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Virginia Law Foundation

...promotes through philanthropy the rule of law, access to justice, and law-related education.

2010 Grants Awarded

2010 Grant Awards - $208,800

Grants awarded are:

RULE OF LAW PROJECT of the Virginia Bar Association ($50,000)
The VBA Rule of Law Project [www.ruleoflaw-vba.org] is a multi-year, statewide, interdisciplinary initiative specifically designed to educate Virginia’s middle and high school students about the rule of law in America. As such, the project promotes a better understanding of the rule of law as the basis for all the rights and freedom we enjoy as citizens of a nation of laws, not of men and women. A collaborative effort among citizen lawyers, middle school teachers and administrators, The VBA Rule of Law Project evidences the Virginia Law Foundation’s mission to promote the rule of law and to support law-related education.

The program is now being introduced to approximately 40 school divisions and local bar associations. Classes have already been held in Henry County, Charlottesville, Roanoke City, Salem City, Roanoke County, Wise County, Norton, and Rappahannock County. The project is expected to be introduced during the 2010-11 cycle in the following school divisions: Arlington, Lexington, Rockbridge County, Bristol, Danville, Martinsville, Norfolk, Hanover, Virginia Beach, Fairfax, Alexandria, Harrisonburg, and Lynchburg.

2010 STATEWIDE LEGAL AID CONFERENCE, a project of the Virginia Poverty Law Center ($20,000)
The Virginia Poverty Law Center [www.vplc.org] provides leadership, support, training, public education, and advocacy to address the civil legal needs of Virginia’s low-income population. VPLC holds an annual conference on legal issues relating to poverty. The three-day conference is comprised of approximately 30 training sessions on issues including consumer, health, family, housing, and other areas of civil poverty law. The conference’s goal is to provide training on poverty law issues to those who work with log and middle-income residents of Virginia. Over 300 registered for the 2009 conference. This is our 15th year of financial support for this conference.

PUBLIC SERVICE INTERNSHIPS – SUMMER OF 2011 ($40,000)
Each of Virginia’s eight American Bar Association-accredited law schools will receive $5,000 to fund public service internships during the summer of 2011. Continuing a VLF tradition begun in 1990, the internships enable Virginia host organizations to hire students as paid interns to serve low-income clients. Internships will be awarded to selected students who will have completed one or two years of law school by the summer of 2011. The students are sensitized to the importance of public interest and pro bono work. The following law schools are involved:

CAPITAL DEFENSE WORKSHOP, a project of the Virginia Bar Association ($17,000)
This is the 15th year of VLF financial support to this one and one-half day training program for Virginia attorneys representing defendants charged with capital murder. Each year, up to 250 lawyers receive training in forensics and litigation to help them meet standards set by the Virginia Supreme Court and the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission, in conjunction with the Virginia State Bar (Section 19.2-163.8 of the Code of Virginia).

Seminar for Justices ($1,800)
In October 2010, the John Marshall Foundation will hold a special 3 ½ day seminar for state court Chief Justices and Associate Justices. A highlight of the seminar will be an afternoon conference at the University of Richmond School of Law, featuring Marshall biographers and legal scholars. The VLF will supply funds for books and DVD’s for the teaching component of the seminar.

Virginia Capital Representation Database ($20,000)
In June 2010, the Virginia Law Foundation board approved a grant of $20,000 to the Virginia Capital Representation Resource Center, located in Charlottesville, for software development necessary to complete its database on capital cases in Virginia. After the database is completed, it will be provided to Commonwealth Attorneys and Public Defenders throughout Virginia.

Rule of Law Programming Incentives to local Bar Associations in Virginia ($25,000)
In June 2010, the Virginia Law Foundation board approved funding assistance of $2,500 for local bar associations that agreed to adopt and implement the VBA Rule of Law Project in the coming academic year, based on a set of criteria that is consistent with the purposes of the grants.

CASA Fingerprinting/Background Screening ($35,000)  
In September 2010, the Virginia Law Foundation awarded a $35,000 grant to the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, the oversight agency for Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) programs. This grant will enable Virginia's twenty-seven local CASA programs to complete an FBI fingerprint record check on all current and potential CASA volunteers for FY2011. This grant will help CASA programs meet new standards established by the National CASA Association to ensure the safety and protection of children appointed a CASA volunteer. Virginia CASA programs will recruit, train, and assign 1400 CASA volunteers to 4,000 children in FY2011.

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