James F. Graves of Lansing-based Sinas, Dramis, Brake, Boughton & McIntyre, P.C. will lead the Lansing area's Access to Justice (ATJ) 2003-2004 campaign. Graves is a former president of the Ingham County Bar Association and the Ingham County Bar Foundation. He begins his campaign with the announcement of a $3,000 Sinas Dramis firm gift that represents $300 from each of the firm's ten members.

Graves said that a healthy civil legal aid system is important to the overall quality of justice in Michigan. "One of the best ways lawyers can assure this is by vigorously supporting legal aid. I am proud to announce my firm's contribution to the Access to Justice Fund, and I am asking every other lawyer and law firm to follow our example," Graves said.

By making its gift, the Sinas Dramis law firm is in full compliance with the State Bar voluntary pro bono standard that encourages individual lawyers to provide 30 hours of volunteer legal services to low-income people, to represent three low-income people, or to contribute a minimum of $300 annually to support civil legal aid programs. Contributions to the ATJ Fund are credited toward the pro bono standard.

"We encourage lawyers to support legal needs throughout the state, but if donors want to support a local program, we ask them to use the ATJ Fund to do so," Graves added.

State Bar President Reginald M. Turner encouraged Michigan lawyers to follow the Sinas Dramis example. "The State Bar welcomes Sinas Dramis as a 100 percent participation law firm. We appreciate lawyers like Jim Graves who understand the importance of full law firm support for legal aid," Turner said.

Lansing-area ATJ programs include Legal Services of Southcentral Michigan, Inc., Sixty Plus, Inc. Elder Law Clinic, MSU-DCL Clinical Law Programs, Michigan Protection & Advocacy Service, the Access to Justice Center, and the Legal Hotline for Michigan Seniors.

For more information on the Access to Justice Fund or the programs it supports, visit www.atjfund.org or http://www.michbar.org.