Attorney Support for the Access to Justice Campaign

Attorney Support for the Access to Justice Campaign

Access to Justice Campaign

Dear Colleague,

Please support the Access to Justice (ATJ) Campaign with a year-end gift. Your gift, together with those of your colleagues in the Michigan legal community, helps ensure access to justice for the over 1.7 million residents living below 125% of the federal poverty line. We ask that you prioritize access to justice in Michigan by donating to the ATJ Campaign.

For many individuals and families, there is a great need for legal aid services as they face the potential loss of their home or income, racial disparities, and other civil legal issues unique to low-income families. With your support, more will have access to free legal services and representation, self-help centers, free legal clinics, pro bono services, and other educational legal services.

A 2022 report issued by the Justice for All Commission, examined the return on investment for civil legal aid in Michigan and found that for every $1 invested in Michigan legal aid in 2019 and 2020, the people of Michigan received $6.69 of immediate and long-term consequential financial benefits. Effectively, you have the opportunity to instrumentally better the lives of many with a 669 percent return on investment. Furthermore, legal aid programs yield high levels of positive outcomes, boasting statistics of:

  • 98% positive outcomes for housing cases
  • 91% positive outcomes for family stability cases, and
  • 93% positive outcomes for expungement cases.

Help us to bridge the justice gap by making a 2022 donation to the ATJ Campaign. Your gift ensures access and fairness for those who cannot afford legal help.

The ATJ Campaign is a collaborative centralized campaign, administered by the Michigan State Bar Foundation in partnership with the State Bar of Michigan, to increase resources for these regional and statewide programs.

To make a charitable contribution or for more information about the ATJ Campaign, please see atjfund.org. 100% of your donation will be distributed to support civil legal aid to low-income individuals.

Thank you for making access to justice a priority. Happy holidays and best wishes for the New Year.

James W. Heath
President
State Bar of Michigan

Craig Lubben
President
Michigan State Bar Foundation


Posted: December 6, 2022