Vermont Access to Justice Campaign 2010 Report

Lawyers. Vermont. Supporting the Vermont Poverty Law Fellowship.

The Vermont Access to Justice Campaign is supported by the Vermont Access to Justice Coalition: Vermont Supreme Court•Vermont Bar Association•Vermont Bar Foundation•Vermont Law School•Vermont Legal Aid, Inc.•Legal Aid Law Line of Vermont•South Royalton Legal Clinic

Dear Colleagues,

We are proud to report that YOU have made Campaign 2010 a success, donating more than $112,000 to provide access to justice in Vermont. Congratulations!

This campaign puts lawyers to work for those most in need in Vermont, allowing bright young lawyers to focus entirely on a major issue of the time for two full years, first foreclosure and now housing safety.

We all need to remember that this campaign is one of three efforts that the Access to Justice Coalition has launched to bring access to justice in Vermont, the other two being bringing Vermont banks together to increase IOLTA interest income that supports other legal services projects in Vermont and the statewide project to increase pro bono services. All three efforts are critical. The Coalition is a remarkable collaboration of the Supreme Court, the Bar Association, the Bar Foundation, Vermont Law School, Legal Aid and Law Line. How cool is that.

We thank Spencer Knapp and the late Joan Wing, the original chairs of this campaign. They were the critical icebreakers, getting this mission started from scratch. Heck of a job.

We thank Vermont Attorneys Title for jumpstarting the final phase of the campaign with great generosity and creativity in offering both a fixed grant and a matching challenge grant. Bless you.

We thank Carol Ode for her endless energy, creativity, persistence and dedication. Awesome.

We thank the Young Lawyers Division, staff at the VBA and VBF, media and administrative helpers at Downs Rachlin Martin, and Justices Reiber and Johnson for all their support.

And we thank all who participated in this year’s campaign. Fundraising can be hard and fundraising can be fun. You all made it fun.

Best regards to all,

Thomas Z. Carlson and S. Stacy Chapman, III