At its first meeting of 2001, the Open Justice Commission announced that it had achieved 100% participation in the State Bar's Access to Justice (ATJ) Campaign, with every one of its 42 members making a financial gift to the ATJ Fund. The achievement followed the Commission members' decision in the summer of 2000 to encourage all of its members to support the Campaign.

The Commission's full support for the ATJ Campaign was enlisted in part because the Commission and the ATJ Campaign share some very fundamental goals. "I am especially pleased that our Open Justice Commissioners have embraced the Access to Justice Campaign," said Michigan Supreme Court Justice Marilyn Kelly. "One of our goals is to strive for the fair delivery of justice regardless of race, ethnic origin, gender, or other personal characteristics," she said. "We recognize that these characteristics are shared by a high number of people served by ATJ programs, and we value the work they do in representing all people."

With the help of State Bar staff, and with leadership from Commission member Leon Cohan, every commissioner was contacted and asked to support the fund established by the State Bar, Michigan State Bar Foundation, and legal services providers in Michigan. The ATJ Fund's primary goal is to build an endowment to provide long-term funding for the civil legal aid programs that deliver legal services to low-income people in Michigan.

State Bar Executive Director John Berry attended the Commission's January meeting and thanked members for their support of the ATJ Campaign. "It is a widely accepted principle of development that the full and generous participation of the people closely connected to an effort is crucial to its success in the wider philanthropic community," said Berry. "The Commission's 100% participation signals full commitment on behalf of the ATJ family."

The State Bar of Michigan's Open Justice Commission was created by the Board of Commissioners in September of 1998. Its mission is to:

• Raise both public and professional awareness of open justice issues and the impact of race, ethnic origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation or disability on the fair delivery of justice in our state;
• Reduce or eliminate such bias or invidious discrimination within the courts or legal profession; and
• Increase public confidence in the fairness of the legal profession and the equal application of law for all citizens.

The Open Justice Commission is Co-Chaired by Justice Kelly and Court of Appeals Judge Harold Hood. For more information on the Open Justice Commission or the ATJ Campaign, please visit the State Bar's web site at www.michbar.org.

Pictured (left to right) are: Daniel F. Hopp, Justice Marilyn Kelly, Annette E. Skinner, Hon. Lorraine H. Weber, Rudy A. Serra, John T. Berry, Teresa Caine Bingman, Hon. Jon T. Ferrier.