www.loubar.org 18 Louisville Bar Briefs 2026 Grant Recipients The Louisville Bar Foundation recently awarded approximately $105,000 in grants for 11 law-related programs in the Louisville area. These grants were approved by the Board of Directors at its board meeting in June. Additional grants may be awarded in December. Our profession is helping through our collective gifts to the Foundation. Grants are made possible by the generosity of Louisville area lawyers and law firms. Since its founding in 1982, the Founda- tion has distributed more than $4.1 million in grant funds. For more information on the LBF’s grants process or to make a charitable contribution in support of the LBF’s grantmaking activities, contact Jeff Been at 292-6734 or [email protected]. ARTS ANGLE First Amendment Labs – $5,000 Arts Angle, a Louisville-based non-profit, prepares young people for success by educating them on the underpinnings of arts journalism and the First Amendment. It conducts a free, student-led newsroom where high school aged participants research, interview, write, edit and publish original stories focused on arts and civic life. In its First Amendment Labs, students gain hand-on experience and develop skills in com- munication, accuracy, source verification and accountability. The labs also engage lawyers as mentors and guest speakers to provide real-world insight into freedom of speech, artistic expression and copyright. CASA OF THE RIVER REGION Advocacy Academy – $10,000 CASA provides advocacy services to children with active cases in Family Court. To increase the number of volunteer advocates, CASA must continually train and provide educa- tion. The LBF grant will support CASA’s Advocacy Academy program and increase its number of trainings to boost volun- teers’ advocacy skillset and the understanding of interrelated child welfare, justice and medical systems. CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF LOUISVILLE Fee Waiver Program – $15,000 Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services helps low- income refugees and immigrants living in Kentucky obtain legal assistance. The LBF grant will allow refugees and immi- grants to solve immigration and/or employment status issues so to achieve or maintain financial stability and economic independence. KENTUCKY RELIGIOUS COALITION FOR REPRODUCTIVE CHOICE Community Educational Forums – $4,000 The Kentucky Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (KRCRC) has a long history of organizing interfaith forums and educational events and a track record of community engagement. Its newest initiative is to provide educational forums to increase public understanding of the constitu- tional dimensions of reproductive health. The forums will bring together legal experts, faith leaders and reproductive health experts to discuss reproductive rights in the current legal landscape. KENTUCKY YMCA YOUTH ASSOCIATION Civic and Leadership Development – $5,000 Kentucky YMCA Youth Association’s conferences bridge classroom civics education with the personal understanding of our state’s branches of government. These experiential learning programs allow teens to meet their peers from throughout the state as they learn about the legislative process, understand the judicial and executive branches. The LBF grant will provide funds to make attendance and participation at these statewide conferences available to public school students in low-income communities which otherwise would not have access. LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS (LOUISVILLE) Voter Outreach and Education – $4,067 The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization working to educate the community and to protect and ex- pand voting rights of persons eligible to participate. As part of its community education, the League distributes copies of the U.S. Constitution and a Citizens Guide. The League also provides outreach and education to eligible people on the process for restoration of voting rights made possible through the Governor’s Executive Order 2019-003. The LBF grant supports this community education and outreach at high schools, neighborhood events and community festivals. LEGAL AID SOCIETY Russell Generational Wealth Project – $30,000 Legal Aid Society has a long tradition of serving the civil legal needs of low-income individuals and families in Metro Louisville. LBF grant funds will support Legal Aid’s Russell Generational Wealth Project, which is a partnership with Russell Place of Promise, a program for first-time, low- income home buyers in the Russell neighborhood. Legal Aid will provide buyers with pro bono volunteer legal assistance to remove barriers to homeownership before closing, repre- sent buyers at closing and provide life-planning documents to protect against the risk of loss of homeownership. LOUISVILLE BAR ASSOCIATION Summer Law Institute – $6,500 The Summer Law Institute is a partnership of the LBA, the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law and Bellar- mine University. The program provides high school students with an opportunity to interact with prominent local attor- neys, judges and professors. It is designed to attract talented, ambitious students who are interested in a career in the legal profession. LBF grant monies will cover a portion of the direct costs of the program, thereby keeping the tuition affordable. LOUISVILLE BAR ASSOCIATION New Lawyer Academy – $12,000 The Louisville Bar Association’s New Lawyer Academy is a comprehensive six-month program, designed for attorneys with up to three years of experience. This academy aims to equip new lawyers with the skills and knowledge necessary for a successful legal career. The curriculum covers a wide range of topics, addressing both professional and personal development needs. Career development is a key component, covering personal branding, mentoring and partnership tracks. Ethical considerations, including confidentiality and pro bono work, are integrated into the curriculum. The New Lawyer Academy seeks to bridge the gap between law school education and the realities of legal practice, setting new attor- neys on a path to long-term career success. LBF grant monies will fund scholarships for solo or small firm practitioners or others who otherwise cannot afford the full tuition. UOFL BRANDEIS SCHOOL OF LAW Ackerson Law Clinic Mediation Program – $10,000 The Ackerson Law Clinic at the University of Louisville’s Brandeis School of Law offers students who have completed initial course requirements the opportunity for practical experience by representing clients under the supervision of clinical instructors. The Mediation Program allows students to apply their mediation skills to assist low-income clients on issues which traditionally complicate and delay judicial resolution of Family Court disputes – custody, visitation, child support. LBF funds support this program designed to help the underserved population, to improve the efficiency of Family Courts and to enhance the practical skills of law students. YMCA SAFE PLACE YNOW Mentoring Program – $5,000 YMCA Safe Place focuses on breaking the generational cycle of incarceration by providing youth who have an incarcerated or substance dependent parent with a mentoring program that engages the youth with a one-on-one trusted adult. The mentoring program is designed to help the youth overcome those barriers to success that result from the loss of adult guidance and financial stability. LBF grant funds will sup- port a focused mentoring program for youth impacted by parental substance abuse, overdose and death.
