Garvey's Second Gift to ATJ Fund Takes MTLA Commitments Over $500,000 Goal

3/28/06

Picture, left to right: Jesse Reiter, MTLA president--elect, Gregory and Reiter; Michael Pitt and Peggy Pitt of Pitt, McGehee, Mirer, Palmer and Rivers; Steve Goren of Goren, Goren and Harris; Tom Cranmer, president, State Bar of Michigan, Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone; Kim Cahill, president-elect, State Bar of Michigan, Schoenherr & Cahill; and Robert Garvey, of Robert Garvey P.C.

St. Clair Shores attorney Robert Garvey has pledged $50,000 to the State Bar of Michigan's Access to Justice Campaign. This is the second time that he has donated generously to help with the civil legal needs of low-income Michigan citizens and in so doing, has boosted total pledges and contributions to the Access to Justice (ATJ) Fund from the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association (MTLA) to over half a million dollars.

In 2001, members of the Thomas, Garvey, Garvey and Sciotti firm pledged $50,000. Robert Garvey then asked the MTLA to commit to raising $500,000 for the ATJ Fund from its membership. With over 200 donors making 472 pledges and gifts to date totaling $552,986.63, MTLA giving is some of the most generous.

"These contributions are made on behalf of trial lawyers to honor those in our profession who defend the rights of people least able to defend themselves. It is our obligation by oath to ensure access to the courts and to trial by jury," Garvey said.

Garvey added that, "as trial lawyers, support for the ATJ Fund is not a tough sell because the same political forces responsible for slashing financial support for legal aid have been actively involved in restricting access to the courts for the civil litigants we represent."

Among MTLA members who joined Garvey with generous commitments to the ATJ Fund include Michael and Peggy Pitt; Sommers, Schwartz, Silver and Schwartz; Brian J. McKeen; Weiner and Cox and George Googasian.

"Needy people in Michigan have been well served by the MTLA's generous members, " said State Bar President, Thomas Cranmer. "They have directed over $300,000 of their pledges and gifts to the endowment fund, assuring civil legal services for low-income people for the long term."

Garvey's most recent pledge is designated for operations at the University of Detroit Mercy Law School Clinical Program — one of some 40 ATJ Fund Eligible programs in Michigan that served more than 48,000 low-income clients with civil legal needs in 2004.

Donors to the ATJ Fund can designate pledges and gifts to a specific program or may choose to have their donation support needs throughout the state. All contributions to the ATJ Fund are received and managed by the Michigan State Bar Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) organization . For information on the ATJ Fund visit www.atjfund.org.

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