|
Bar
Benefit Raises Over $100,000
for Legal Services
Minneapolis (3-09-06): --
Over
$83,000 was contributed to the Hennepin County Bar
Foundation through the annual Bar Benefit, setting a
record for the eighth consecutive year. In addition,
the Volunteer Lawyers Network (VLN) received over
$21,000 through their silent auction and raffle held in
conjunction with the benefit. Courtney Ward-Reichard,
chair of the planning committee, and Foundation
President Judy Rogosheske express their thanks to all
for their generosity.
The Bar
Benefit, held Thursday, March 2, at the Radisson Plaza
Hotel, was an evening of fellowship, fun, and
fundraising, enthusiastically supported by hundreds of
members of the legal community, both bench and bar. In
addition to providing financial support for legal
services, the community also honors those who have
distinguished themselves in pro bono work.
The
well-deserving recipients of this year’s Pro Bono
Publico awards were Ian Ball, an attorney in private
practice (award for excellence by an attorney from the
private sector); Abigail Turner, litigation director at
Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance (award for excellence in
the public sector); and Bricker Lavik of Dorsey &
Whitney (the Distinguished Service award, which
recognizes overall commitment to pro bono service
throughout a lawyer’s career). Also, seven law firms
were recognized for their successful participation in
the Pro Bono Challenge by providing pro bono services of
at least 3% of their 2005 billable hours.
This
year’s event also celebrated the 40th
anniversary of VLN, the bar association’s close partner
in serving legal needs in Hennepin County. In honor of
this milestone, Boyd Ratchye of the Bassford Remele law
firm served as the honorary chair. Ratchye was one of
seven lawyers who founded the organization forty years
ago.
At the
time, Legal Advice Clinics (the former name for VLN) was
only the second volunteer lawyers’ organization in the
nation. Taking encouragement from what a few lawyers
were able to accomplish forty years ago, Ratchye
challenged attendees to look to the future, identify
what unrecognized group is currently underserved by the
law and lawyers, and to recruit colleagues who can serve
that group.
Attendees found Ratchye’s recollections a wonderful link
to the past, and his emphasis on the future
inspirational.
Founded
in 1968, the Hennepin County Bar Foundation is dedicated
to the mission of ensuring the fairness of, and
accessibility to, the legal system by promoting public
understanding and confidence in our system of justice.
Toward this end the Foundation makes grants each year to
community organizations involved in public legal
education and the delivery of legal services to the
citizens of Hennepin County. Over $500,000 in grants
have been distributed in the last decade, supported in
large part by the Bar Benefit, as well as individual
contributions from the Hennepin County legal community.
# # # #
#
hcba:dds:060308 |
|
