The Justice Gap Fund's goal, pure and simple, is to help make access to justice a reality for all Californians.  The Justice Gap Fund implements AB 2301 (2006) which authorizes the State Bar to "facilitate the professional responsibilities of its members by collecting voluntary financial support for nonprofit organizations that provide free legal services...." 

Administration is streamlined because donations are handled through the State Bar's existing Trust Fund Program that administers IOLTA and Equal Access Fund grants.  Programs qualify for funding through a rigorous application process and regular monitoring ensures, among other things, that the services are effective.  All of the money raised through the Justice Gap Fund goes directly to nonprofit legal aid organizations, and they in turn use the funds to help families facing foreclosures, seniors dealing with financial scams, and victims of domestic violence.    For a list of organizations that receive money from the Justice Gap Fund, please click here.

Why Support the Justice Gap Fund?

As lawyers, we understand the importance of a well-functioning judicial system.   However, no judicial system is fully functional if access to justice is only available for those who can afford a lawyer.  In the November 2010 Edition of the Los Angeles Lawyer Magazine, Assemblymember Mike Feuer, Holly Fujie and Rex Heinke wrote a heartfelt and compelling article about the importance of supporting the Justice Gap Fund, entitled "Leveraging Justice with the Justice Gap Fund."  As they stated, every day there are millions of Californians who need legal assistance to secure their basic needs, but who can't afford a lawyer.  The Justice Gap Fund helps to provide critical legal services to those most in need by supporting lawyers and organizations

"...who work tirelessly to help the disenfranchised, powerless and poor...The Justice Gap Fund allows us all to stand behind our justice system.  Only through the engagement and participation of individual attorneys can the fund achieve its goal of improving access to justice throughout California.  California attorneys enjoy unrivaled resources and opportunities.  The Justice Gap Fund is one opportunity that California's entire legal community can embrace and that brings resources to every one of our 58 counties." 

To read the entire article,  click here.

Make a donation. It's easy. You can make a donation by clicking here.  Contributions can also be made by completing the appropriate line on your State Bar dues statement (either online or in hard copy) or by sending a check payable to the State Bar of California to the attention of the Justice Gap Fund at 180 Howard Street, San Francisco, California 94105.  

While your donation to your local provider helps sustain the services needed in your own community, your donation to the JGF helps make these services available even in the parts of California that are least able to make up for lost grant revenues and increasing demand for services.  Your local provider and the JGF work in tandem protecting low-income Californians and the system of justice itself.