The law firm of Johnson, Rosati, LaBarge, Aseltyne & Field, P.C. recently announced its pledge of $25,000 to the State Bar of Michigan's Access to Justice Fund (ATJ), to be placed in an endowment for civil legal needs throughout the state. The 18-member firm maintains offices in the cities of Farmington Hills, Lansing, and St. Clair Shores and specializes in general tort defense, automobile negligence, premises liability, employment litigation, products liability, municipal law, zoning and land use issues, and police related lawsuits.

Although many of the firm's lawyers provide substantial hours of pro bono work through local legal aid programs, they felt strongly about making a significant financial contribution to the overall delivery system that facilitates pro bono work. In discussing the firm's decision to financially support the ATJ Campaign, firm shareholder Russell LaBarge said, "this is simply the right thing to do."

By making this contribution, the Johnson Rosati firm joins a growing number of Michigan law firms that are supporting the innovative ATJ Fund, held at the Michigan State Bar Foundation. Many firms support the Fund by contributing the recommended $300 annual pro bono contribution for each of its lawyers. Other firms, like Johnson Rosati, have decided to make firm corporate contributions and urge their individual members to support the Fund or provide pro bono services as well.

"Access to Justice is one of the highest priorities of the State Bar of Michigan, and response from the legal profession has been generous," said State Bar of Michigan President Thomas J. Ryan. "We salute the Johnson Rosati firm for demonstrating its leadership through this very generous contribution to the ATJ Fund."

The Access to Justice Fund was established in September 1997 through a partnership of the State Bar of Michigan, the Michigan State Bar Foundation, and legal aid programs throughout the state. The ATJ Campaign is working to consolidate private financial support for legal aid programs into one coordinated campaign, with one Fund that supports many interests. For more information on the ATJ Fund, please contact Candace Crowley at the State Bar of Michigan, 1-800-968-1442.

Standing left to right: Dan Dalton, Randy Fields, Laura Amtsbuechler, Marcia Howe, Michael Rosati, Ken Slusser and Patrick Aseltyne. Sitting in front, left to right: Chris Johnson, Carol Rosati and Russ LaBarge.