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Orange County Bar Association Charitable Fund Announces 2016 Grants Totaling $170,000

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Feb. 24, 2016—The Orange County Bar Association (OCBA) Charitable Fund recently announced its 2016 grants. Totaling $170,000, these monetary contributions benefit carefully selected local law-related organizations and programs in order to improve the Orange County community and legal profession by facilitating access to justice.

OCBA Charitable Fund President Ashleigh E. Aitken presented the grants during the 2016 OCBA Charitable Fund Grant Giving Reception on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016, at OCBA Headquarters in Newport Beach. The 2016 recipients are as follows:

• Chapman/Fowler School of Law, Bette and Wylie Aitken Family Protection Clinic—$10,000 Grant
  Founded in 2007, the Clinic addresses the unique challenges faced by survivors of domestic violence and offers free assistance in immigration, human trafficking and protection order matters for clients who meet income eligibility requirements. Click here for more information.
• Constitutional Rights Foundation, Orange County, Constitutional Futures Project—$40,400 Grant
  This unique series of five complimentary programs (Mock Trial, Peer Court, Constitution Day, Law Day, and the Orange County Career Forum) educates and empowers our local youth to be active, responsible citizens who are civically minded and engaged. Click here for more information.
• Human Options, Legal Advocacy Program—$6,500 Grant
  Founded in 1979, Human Options has grown from a small grassroots agency to a multi-service, countywide program that breaks the cycle of domestic violence at every stage through safety, healing, and a way forward. Through its Legal Advocacy Program, the organization provides intervention for men, women, and children who are survivors of domestic violence or who are currently in an abusive relationship. Click here for more information.
• Laura’s House, Legal Advocacy Program—$9,500 Grant
  The only state-approved comprehensive domestic violence agency in South Orange County, Laura’s House has provided shelter and supportive services to more than 4,000 women and children and helps survivors of domestic violence prepare for restraining order hearings, with particular emphasis on client testimony, collection of evidence, and staying safe at the courthouse. Click here for more information.
• Legal Aid Society of Orange County, Lawyer Entrepreneur Assistance Program (LEAP)—$30,000 Grant
  An incubator program in which participants receive training, mentorship, guidance, and the hands-on practical experience necessary to launch their own solo practice, LEAP currently offers three pro bono legal clinics: Family Law, Civil Litigation, and Clean Slate Criminal Record Expungement. Click here for more information.
• OCKABA Foundation, Pro Bono Legal Clinic/Fellow—$2,000 Grant
  In support of the Orange County Korean American Bar Association Foundation’s mission to promote and advance charitable activities relating to the law for the benefit of all communities, the Pro Bono Legal Clinic and Fellowships encourage attorneys to give back to the Korean American community and ensure that pro bono representation is regularly administered in Orange County. Click here for more information.
• Orange County Bar Foundation, Project SELF (Summer Employment in Law Firms)—$3,600 Grant
  With the goal of investing in tomorrow’s leaders, Project SELF (Summer Employment in Law Firms) provides local high school students—the majority of whom are low-income and/or ethnic minorities—with hands-on, paid internships in the legal field and other professional areas. Click here for more information.
• Public Law Center, Courthouse Clinics—$30,000 Grant
  In addition to its clinics held at La Habra Family Resource Center, Costa Mesa’s Share Our Selves Community Health Center, and Little Saigon Economic, Cultural, and Social Center in Westminster, PLC holds a series of Courthouse Clinics—often in conjunction with the OCBA—designed to assist low-income clients in such areas as domestic violence, guardianship, federal civil actions, and more. Click here for more information.
• UC Irvine School of Law, Pre-Law Outreach Program—$5,000 Grant
  This program of six Saturday classes during the summer months assists undergraduate students from disadvantaged backgrounds to prepare for the law school application and admissions process and to understand the unique demands of legal education. Participants also receive a free LSAT review course, donated by Kaplan Test Prep, Inc. Click here for more information.
• UC Irvine School of Law, Saturday Academy of Law—$20,000 Grant
  In order to foster diversity in the legal profession, this series of weekend classes helps 9th grade students in the Santa Ana Unified School District develop the skills they need to pursue higher education and a potential career in the law, with a focus on reading, writing, and critical thinking. Click here for more information.
• Veterans Legal Institute, Pro Bono Veterans Clinics—$12,000 Grant
  By leveraging its network of attorney volunteers, VLI is able to assist current and former service members transition into their civilian lives and empower them through discharge upgrades, VA claims, estate planning, non-profit and small business assistance, and expungement. Click here for more information.
• Women’s Transitional Living Center, Legal Advocacy Victim’s Immigration Legal Services—$1,000 Grant
  Many immigrants face significant challenges when they migrate to the United States, including language barriers, cultural differences, lack of legal status, and reduced access to services. As such, Women’s Transitional Living Center provides culturally competent services to all immigrant survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking. Click here for more information.

Grants in excess of $10,000 will be distributed in two installments.

About the Orange County Bar Association Established in 1901, the Orange County Bar Association is one of the largest voluntary bars in California. The mission of the Orange County Bar Association is to enhance the system of justice, to support the lawyers who serve it, and to assist the community served by it.

About the Orange County Bar Association Charitable Fund Founded in 1995 as the charitable giving and fundraising arm of the Orange County Bar Association, the OCBA Charitable Fund provides resources to organizations and programs in order to enhance the system of justice in Orange County and promote access to equal justice for all. Over the last decade, the OCBA Charitable Fund has provided over $1.2 million in grants to law-related charities in Orange County.

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