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VBF News

December 2, 2021

Emily Kenyon, VBF Poverty Law Fellow, Featured in Seven Days

Our current Poverty Law Fellow, Emily Kenyon, was recently featured in a Seven Days article. Emily embodies the ethic of all the Poverty Law Fellows by fighting for the legal…

February 17, 2021

20/21 Access to Justice Campaign a Huge Success

February 17, 2021, Montpelier, VT Contact: Josie Leavitt 802-238-3208   The Vermont Bar Foundation ended its most successful Access to Justice campaign taking in just over $161,000 by February,…

January 7, 2021

VBF Condemns Violence in DC

The Vermont Bar Foundation condemns in the strongest terms possible the violent events in Washington DC yesterday. The Foundation works every day to further the administration of justice, with a…

August 20, 2020

Timothy C. Doherty, Jr. Appointed to VBF Board

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 18, 2020 Jolie Frechette Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC 802-846-8312 Vermont Supreme Court Appoints Timothy C. Doherty, Jr. To Serve on Board of Directors of the…

June 1, 2020

National Association of IOLTA Programs-May 29, 2020

$157.4 Million Projected Loss in Critical Sources of State Funding for Civil Legal Aid A recent survey conducted by the National Association of IOLTA Programs (NAIP) has revealed that state-based…

November 7, 2019

Vermont Supreme Court – Declaration of Access to Justice Month

Whereas, the Conference of Chief Justices and the Conference of State Court Administrators have long recognized that the promise of equal justice is not realized for individuals and families who…

September 22, 2016

Special VBF Membership Meeting

The Vermont Bar Foundation will hold a special meeting at the VBA’s Annual Meeting, Friday, October 14, 2016 at Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, VT. This meeting will be held…

April 26, 2016

Vermont Consumer Rights Attorney Grace Pazdan Receives National Award

Grace B. Pazdan, a consumer rights attorney at Vermont Legal Aid, has been awarded the prestigious Henry J. Sommer Scholarship for the 2016 National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA)…

August 7, 2015

Vermont Bar Foundation 2015: Reality

For many Vermonters reality is facing a legal issue and simply not knowing what to do or where to turn. It is a feeling of hopelessness and despair. The Vermont…

January 30, 2015

Vermont Congressional Delegation Highlights Poverty Law Fellowship

The efforts of the Vermont Bar Foundation, and the Vermont Poverty Law Fellow in particular, help to ensure that our veterans and all Vermonters have access to justice.

January 30, 2015

VSECU Awarded Community Credit Union of the Year

The National Credit Union Association recently named four credit unions as recipients of the prestigious Community Credit Union of the Year award.  VSECU, a credit union for everybody in Vermont,…

March 26, 2014

2014 Vermont Poverty Law Fellow Selected

We are pleased to announce that Katelyn Atwood, Vermont Law School Class of 2011, has been selected as the Vermont Poverty Law Fellow for 2014-16. She will develop a project…

March 7, 2014

Special VBF Membership Meeting (2014)

The Vermont Bar Foundation will hold a special meeting at the VBA’s Mid-Year Meeting, Friday, March 21, 2014 at the Hilton Burlington in Burlington, VT.  This meeting will be held during…

December 13, 2013

VATIC Makes Challenge Grant to Access to Justice Campaign

Dear Fellow VBA Members, We are very excited to announce that the Vermont Attorneys Title Insurance Company Board has issued a challenge to the bar.  VATIC has pledged $5,000 outright,…

October 15, 2013

Vermont Poverty Law Fellowship

The Vermont Bar Foundation and the Vermont Access to Justice Campaign are pleased to announce the availability of a two-year Vermont Poverty Law Fellowship (VPLF) beginning in August 2014. The…

August 27, 2013

Vermont Bar Foundation 2013 Board Elections

ANNUAL MEETING AND BOARD ELECTIONS Lake Morey Resort Fairlee, VT Friday, September 27, 2013 Annual Meeting: During Lunch Meeting Board Elections: 8:00am – 3:00pm ANNUAL MEETING AGENDA Welcome – Beth…

August 12, 2013

2013 Vermont Bar Foundation Board Elections

The Vermont Bar Foundation Annual Meeting and Election of the Board of Directors will take place on September 27, 2013 during the Vermont Bar Association Annual Meeting at Lake Morey…

April 2, 2013

Windsor-Orange Legal Assistance Project

Providing legal assistance to low income residents of Windsor and Orange Counties at reduced rates with the help of a grant from the Vermont Bar Foundation. Full article

March 20, 2013

VBF’s Own Judith Dickson Honored with VBA Pro Bono Award

Attorney Judith Dickson, a long-time volunteer with the Vermont Bar Foundation, was honored on March 15th as one of three recipients of the VT Bar Association‘s Pro Bono Service Award.  …

February 25, 2013

Vermont Bar Foundation Access to Justice Campaign

IT’S NOT TOO LATE! You can still make your contribution to the Vermont Bar Foundation’s Access to Justice Campaign. “Your generous donation to Campaign 2012 will help to ensure that…

February 15, 2013

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

An Employer and Employee Guide to Public Service Loan Forgiveness  is now available at http://tinyurl.com/PSLFguide. The Guide contains the information needed to help public service attorneys and other employees with…

January 17, 2013

Access to Justice Campaign

IT’S NOT TOO LATE! You can still make your contribution to the Vermont Bar Foundation’s Access to Justice Campaign. As you know, the campaign’s support for Vermont’s Poverty Law Fellowship…

October 9, 2012

Celebrate Pro Bono Conference

October 25, 2012 State House, Montpelier Raise your hand to help! There is no registration fee to attend; however, in the spirit of Pro Bono we suggest a $30 donation…

April 25, 2012

Bar Foundation Looks To Raise Awareness, Funds For “Access To Justice”

Vermont Supreme Court Justice John Dooley talks with VPR’s Jane Lindholm about the financial challenges facing the Vermont Bar Foundation. Justice Dooley’s interview

March 15, 2012

Have Justice–Will Travel

HAVE JUSTICE—WILL TRAVEL ON BYU-TV TURNING POINT SHOW March 19, 2012 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm Eastern TURNING POINT is a series of documentary films celebrating the life and work…

November 30, 2011

A Celebration of the Vermont Poverty Law Fellowship

PRESS RELEASE: (Montpelier, Vermont) Congressman Peter Welch addressed Vermont Access to Justice Coalition members, more than 50 lawyers and judges, and Vermont Poverty Law Fellows Grace Pazdan and Jessica Radbord…

November 21, 2011

Vermont’s Financial Institutions Work To Help Vermont’s Disadvantaged

While the country’s large banks are busy ducking brickbats from Occupy Wall Street, a number of Vermont institutions are quietly working to help the disadvantaged of our state. The Vermont…

November 15, 2011

Deadline Looms: Vermonters Must Apply for Irene Help: Vermont Poverty Law Fellow Continues Work With Irene’s Victims

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is reminding Vermonters hurt by Tropical Storm Irene that the deadline for applying for federal assistance is Tuesday, November 15. To date, nearly 7,000 individuals…

October 19, 2011

Beth Robinson Appointed to Vermont Supreme Court

OCTOBER 18 – MONTPELIER –Gov. Peter Shumlin today announced the appointment of Beth Robinson to serve on the Vermont Supreme Court. An attorney with nearly two decades of experience practicing…

September 28, 2011

The Vermont Community Foundation’s Special and Urgent Needs Irene Recovery Grants

The Vermont Community Foundation is making grants to non-profits that sustained damage from Irene as well as nonprofits facing significant resource challenges in providing services for those affected by Irene….

September 20, 2011

Giving to the Vermont Bar Foundation Now Possible Through VtSHARES

“If you are a government lawyer,” explains Vermont Bar Foundation Executive Director Deborah Bailey, “please donate to the VBF through payroll deductions and VtSHARES.”  Ms. Bailey just completed the process…

September 5, 2011

Vermont Bar Foundation 2011 Board Elections

ANNUAL MEETING AND BOARD ELECTIONS Lake Morey Resort Fairlee, VT Friday, September 23, 2011 Annual Meeting: During Lunch Meeting Board Elections: 8:00am – 3:30pm Welcome – Joseph F. Cahill, Jr.,…

September 2, 2011

Vermont Continues to Benefit from the Work of Its First Poverty Law Fellow, Grace Pazdan

While homeowners across the nation face devastating mortgage foreclosures, (please see http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/22/opinion/homeowners-need-help.html?ref=opinion) Vermont still sees lasting benefits from the work of its first Poverty Law Fellow, Grace Pazdan. Ms. Pazdan’s…

August 10, 2011

2011 Annual Meeting and Board Elections

The Vermont Bar Foundation Annual Meeting and Election of the Board of Directors will take place on September 23, 2011 during the Vermont Bar Association Annual Meeting at Lake Morey…

July 7, 2011

Have Justice Will Work Pro Bono

By Susan Keese, VPR Facing federal spending cuts, a program that provides representation for domestic violence victims, Have Justice Will Travel, has laid off staff in Bennington and Randolph, but…

June 23, 2011

Justice Denise Johnson, a Long-Time Advocate for Access to Justice, Is Retiring from the Supreme Court

Access to the judicial system for poor people has been a defining issue in Justice Johnson’s legal career. Even before attending law school, Justice Johnson perceived the law as an…

May 19, 2011

In Tough Economic Times Vermont Bar Foundation IOLTA Honor Roll Banks and Credit Unions Stand Firm to Ensure Access to Justice in Vermont

As Vermont organizations such as Vermont Legal Aid, the South Royalton Legal Clinic, the Rutland County Pilot Project, Women Safe, Have Justice Will Travel and thirteen other organizations listed at…

April 6, 2011

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…

January 13, 2011

Vermont’s Celebrate Pro-Bono Conference

Vermont Supreme Court Justice Denise Johnson addressed about 150 judges, attorneys, legal service providers, community agencies and non-profits at Vermont’s first-ever Celebrate Pro-Bono Conference to mirror similar events throughout the…

January 12, 2011

Vermont’s lowest in the nation foreclosure rate garners national attention.

When the Vermont Poverty Law Fellowship was first conceived of, who could have predicted its wildly successful first years? Vermont Legal Aid executive director Eric Avildson and Law Line of…

December 22, 2010

ABA President Zack Statement Re: 11th Hour Senate Action Protecting Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA)

In the quest for “justice for all,” a major victory was won today.  Congress has acted to protect a critical funding stream for legal aid to the poor, legal education,…

November 26, 2010

Legal Aid Attorney Invited to White House

(Montpelier) – A Vermont attorney is going to the White House. Grace Pazdan, a staff attorney at Vermont Legal Aid assists Vermonters whose homes are at risk of foreclosure. The White House Task Force on Middle Class…

October 25, 2010

Access to Justice Campaign 2010 Receives Statewide Coverage!

The Burlington Free Press printed an article about Campaign 2010’s kick off at the Vermont Bar Association’s Annual Meeting in Fairlee, Vermont on September 24.  Already, $35,000 has been raised…

October 7, 2010

Vermont Bar Foundation President Addresses Members

At the Vermont Bar Association Annual Meeting, Vermont Bar Foundation President Joe Cahill addressed about 300 lawyers and thanked them for choosing Vermont Bar Foundation IOLTA HONOR ROLL financial institutions….

September 27, 2010

Vermont Access to Justice Campaign Kicks Off Campaign 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  September 24, 2010 CONTACT:  Carol Ode, 802-863-3818,  (Fairlee, Vt.) Attorneys Thomas Carlson and Stacy Chapman today thanked attorneys for past contributions to Access to Justice Campaigns and…

August 11, 2010

Open Seat On The Vermont Bar Foundation Board

Vermont Bar Foundation President Joseph Cahill announces an open “at large seat” on the Vermont Bar Foundation board. The VBF board will fill this seat with an attorney licensed by…

June 7, 2010

Unmet Legal Need in Vermont

“In spite of all of our efforts to increase funding for the Vermont Bar Foundation, there are still many unmet legal needs for those living in poverty in Vermont,” said…

June 7, 2010

2010 Grant Recipients Announced

Vermont Bar Foundation Grants Committee Chair Teri Corsones announces the 2010 Grant Recipients Last week, the Vermont Bar Foundation held one of its quarterly meetings and voted on the recommendations of…

April 1, 2010

Welcome to New Members of the Vermont Bar

On March 31, the Supreme Court admitted sixteen lawyers to the Vermont Bar. Before the ceremony, Mary Ashcroft, on behalf of the Vermont Volunteer Lawyers’ Project invited their participation as…

December 23, 2009

Welcome to New Members of the Vermont Bar

On December 10, the Supreme Court admitted about thirty lawyers to the Vermont Bar. Before the ceremony, Vermont Bar Association Young Lawyer’s Section’s Michael Donofrio extended an invitation to join…

November 21, 2009

Carol Ode to Assist Foundation

Vermont Bar Foundation President Joseph Cahill announces that, “Carol Ode will be working with us to promote the accomplishments of the Vermont Bar Foundation.  We have several significant and exciting…

November 20, 2009

Open Seat On The Board

Vermont Bar Foundation President Joseph Cahill announces an open seat on the Vermont Bar Foundation board to be filled from the Chittenden County Region* saying, “If you are interested in…

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