More than $38,000 in contributions, pledges and net sponsorship proceeds was donated to the Access to Justice Fund through an Access to Justice Campaign benefit dinner hosted in October by State Bar of Michigan immediate past president Thomas W. Cranmer.

In lieu of a private event celebrating his recently completed presidential term, Cranmer asked that the dinner serve as a benefit event of the Access to Justice Campaign, which was established in 1998 through a partnership of the State Bar of Michigan, the Michigan State Bar Foundation, and legal aid agencies statewide to increase resources for civil legal services for low-income persons in Michigan. The event generated $38,240 for the ATJ F und.

Donating to the Access to Justice Fund in tribute to Thomas W. Cranmer were:

Dinner underwriters included Miller Canfield Paddock & Stone, PLC; Kitch Drutchas Wagner Valitutti & Sherbrook; Warner Norcross and Judd; Barris Scott Denn & Driker, PLLC; Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn; the State Bar of Michigan; and the Oakland County Bar Association.

All contributions made through the Access to Justice Campaign are received by the Access to Justice Fund at the Michigan State Bar Foundation. The Michigan State Bar Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that administers the ATJ Fund. It distributes designated donations, awards ATJ Fund grants to qualified agencies and evaluates the use of grant proceeds and the services provided. Donors may make undesignated endowment or operations contributions to support civil legal aid needs throughout the state or may designate their gift to a specific eligible civil legal services agency. See www.atjfund.org for information on making an ATJ Fund gift.