The Virginia Law Foundation is thrilled to award $714,200 in grants to 35 organizations this year. Since launching our grants program in 1984, we have allocated more than $29.4 million to support initiatives and nonprofits across Virginia. These grants advance our mission to uphold the Rule of Law, expand access to justice, and enhance law-related education. Learn more about our 2024 grant recipients below.
AMICA CENTER FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS — Virginia Justice Project — $10,000
The Amica Center for Immigrant Rights strives to ensure equal justice for all immigrant adults and children at risk of detention and deportation in the capital region and beyond through direct legal representation, know-your-rights presentations, impact litigation, advocacy, and the enlistment and training of intern attorneys. The Virginia Justice Project ensures that public defenders and court appointed counsel in Virginia are educated regarding the immigration consequences of crimes. In the tenth year of this program, the Amica Center will train 600 Virginia criminal defense attorneys through at least two virtual trainings, produce and maintain written materials on an ongoing basis, and execute necessary trainings to support the 315 Virginia public defender attorneys in the 25 public defender offices and the 2,500 court-appointed attorneys in Virginia, impacting more than 3,000 indigent non-citizen Virginia residents.
APPALACHIAN SCHOOL OF LAW — Medical Legal Partnership — $25,000
The Appalachian School of Law (ASL) continues its Medical-Legal Partnership with Ballad Health, an integrated healthcare system serving Southwest Virginia. This partnership aims to improve access to justice for medical patients and address healthcare demands attributable to or exacerbated by unmet legal needs. ASL students, under the supervision of licensed attorneys, will provide free legal services to low-income patients, enhancing both access to justice and experiential learning opportunities. Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business will contribute analytics to measure the program’s success.
BLUE RIDGE LEGAL SERVICES — Free Civil Legal Assistance for Low-Income Seniors — $25,000
Blue Ridge Legal Services dedicates itself to eliminating poverty-based inequities in the civil justice system by providing high-quality legal advice and representation to low-income residents of the Shenandoah and Roanoke Valleys. This project will provide free legal assistance in the form of legal information, legal advice and brief services, and direct representation to low-income seniors in the Central Shenandoah Valley, namely, the counties of Rockingham, Augusta, Page, Highland, and the cities of Harrisonburg, Staunton, and Waynesboro. The project will target seniors with critical legal needs, with a special focus on elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation cases.
CANCERLINC — Access to Justice for Latino and Spanish-Speaking Cancer Patients in Central & Southside Virginia — $12,000
CancerLINC provides access to justice for low-income cancer patients who otherwise would not have attorneys, financial professionals, and others to help them address the non-medical challenges stemming from their cancer diagnosis — medical debt, eviction, bankruptcy, employment insecurity, and similar challenges. Given that cancer is the leading cause of death among Hispanics and Latinos, who face disproportionate poverty and healthcare obstacles, this group is particularly vulnerable to disparities in cancer care. This grant will bolster bilingual programs to better serve Latino cancer patients in Central and Southside Virginia and will provide approximately 50 Latino cancer patients and family members with access to pro bono legal and financial resources. Additionally, CancerLINC is conducting needs and feasibility assessments in the Charlottesville area to evaluate expanding the organization’s services.
CENTRAL VIRGINIA LEGAL AID SOCIETY — Academic Medical Legal Partnership — $25,000
Central Virginia Legal Aid Society (CVLAS) provides legal representation and preventative community legal education to low-income and elderly clients in civil law cases at no charge, aiding vulnerable residents with legal issues relating to consumer, domestic violence, employment, elder care, family, health, housing, and public benefits throughout Central Virginia. This year’s grant will help sustain and expand the existing Academic Medical Legal Partnership (A-MLP) with the VCU’s Health Hub. This partnership increases access to justice for low-income persons in the Church Hill community through health equity-focused legal interventions, expanded on-demand attorney access, and community education about legal issues, resources, and rights.
FAIRFAX LAW FOUNDATION — Northern Virginia Pro Bono Law Center Neighborhood Outreach Program — $25,000
The Northern Virginia Pro Bono Law Center of the Fairfax Law Foundation provides legal assistance to poverty and low-income residents through its Neighborhood Outreach Program. As part of this program, volunteer lawyers meet virtually or travel to partnering sites throughout the community to help those most in need and provide free civil legal analysis, advice, and referral information. The Fairfax Law Foundation’s long-standing partnerships with community organizations enable pro bono attorneys to meet with potential populations seeking legal aid in their facilities, broadening their impact on those who would otherwise be denied access to legal service.
FIRST SHIFT JUSTICE PROJECT — Workplace Rights for Working Mothers in Virginia — $5,000
First Shift Justice Project empowers workers in low wage jobs to exercise their rights related to caregiving and parenting. With support from this grant, First Shift will provide legal services to low-wage and immigrant working mothers and caregivers in Virginia who are facing workplace discrimination and are being denied on the-job accommodations and family medical leave. This will be accomplished through direct legal services, Know Your Rights presentations about workplace rights for pregnant and caregiving workers, and trainings for Virginia medical providers and staff about the health-related workplace rights of their patients.
FREEKIND — Removing Barriers to Justice for Victims of Trafficking — $20,000
Freekind works to prevent human trafficking and support those it impacts on their journey to freedom. To better serve incarcerated human trafficking survivors in Virginia, Freekind is using this grant to expand both its Offramps and its Prevention Project™ programs to include a Juvenile Justice Edition (JJE). The Offramps Program improves access to justice for victims of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation by strengthening criminal justice partnerships to more effectively identify victims who would otherwise go unidentified or misidentified, and by advocating for alternative sentencing through restorative services rather than increased incarceration. Additionally, Freekind will pilot the JJE in two facilities and engage an independent researcher to complete a program evaluation, which will be utilized to license both programs to appropriate service providers across the Commonwealth.
GREATER RICHMOND BAR FOUNDATION — Statewide Pro Bono Campaign — $20,000
Committed to expanding access to justice, the Greater Richmond Bar Foundation (GRBF) mobilizes, trains, and connects attorneys with pro bono clients. With the support of this grant, the GRBF aims to produce a professionally created and produced pro bono marketing campaign led by the Supreme Court of Virginia’s Access to Justice Commission. This campaign will leverage research-based triggers to increase awareness and encourage pro bono participation. While judges and lawyers regularly espouse the importance of pro bono service, the number of volunteers in Virginia has remained relatively flat. The GRBF will use new approaches to pro bono recruiting to create cultural change while supplementing existing outreach efforts to inspire increased participation in pro bono.
HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES MADE EQUAL OF VIRGINIA, INC. — Fair Housing Litigation and Legal Access — $10,000
Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia (HOME of Virginia) is a civil rights fair housing nonprofit whose mission is to ensure equal housing for all people. This grant will support the Fair Housing Litigation and Legal Access program, which assists Virginia residents in accessing housing justice. As part of this program, HOME of Virginia will open at least 24 investigations in an effort to advise and guide clients facing housing discrimination through the process of filing fair housing complaints and litigation. Additionally, the organization will present at least three fair housing trainings to community advocates and attorneys across Virginia in housing law so they can better help residents in their communities.
JAMESTOWN REDISCOVERY FOUNDATION — Point of No Return, 1676: Bacon’s Rebellion and the Rule of Law in Virginia — $5,000
The Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation (JRF) is dedicated to uncovering, preserving, and sharing Jamestown’s diverse history and its contributions to the foundations of America. This year’s grant supports the development of JRF’s Point of No Return, 1676 project. This project expands on current Rule of Law educational programming and will focus on the intersections of law, race, and class through the development of segregationist legislation in the aftermath of Bacon’s Rebellion. In addition, the JRF team will enhance existing tours, develop new living history programs, and offer in-person and virtual school programs.
JAZZ4JUSTICE — Jazz4Justice Concerts — $10,000
Through collaborative partnerships with the legal community, the business community, the music community, and universities throughout Virginia, Jazz4Justice raises public awareness about the justice gap and music education. This grant will support Jazz4Justice in using music as a vehicle to connect communities, educate audiences on the justice gap, and fundraise to support legal aid organizations helping those most in need. Several times a year, university, college, or community college music programs will host a concert featuring jazz music, and the local bar or bar foundation will solicit sponsors and promote the concert to the community. Proceeds from the event, minus expenses, are divided between the bar foundation/local legal aid and the music program, and it is estimated that more than 2,500 students and listeners will be reached in the upcoming season.
JOHN MARSHALL CENTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY & CIVICS — Civics250 — $60,000
The John Marshall Center (JMC) preserves and honors the founding legacy of John Marshall by engaging and educating learners of all ages about our constitutional history, the Rule of Law, and civics. Through partnerships with the Virginia Museum of History & Culture and the Virginia Law Foundation, JMC will empower learners of all ages with the knowledge and tools necessary to be civic-ready in Virginia. Through a robust set of new resources and programming, JMC seeks to empower educators and inspire young citizens to be rooted in a deep understanding of America’s constitutional founding, its history of working toward a more perfect union, the ongoing importance of the Rule of Law, and their responsibility in ensuring our Constitution endures for ages to come.
LEGAL AID JUSTICE CENTER — Charlottesville-Albemarle Bar Association (CABA) Volunteer Lawyer Program — $15,000
By partnering with communities and clients to achieve justice, the Legal Aid Justice Center (LAJC) dismantles systems that create and perpetuate poverty. Their CABA Volunteer Lawyer Program is a community-responsive project that provides a structure for attorneys to deliver high-impact free legal services that transform the lives of their neighbors while deepening attorneys’ pre-existing commitment to justice-seeking work. This grant from the Virginia Law Foundation will support this program’s expansion to provide time-sensitive, critical legal support to Afghan evacuees residing in Virginia. CABA will continue to collaborate with state and national partners to ensure competent and compassionate pro bono legal service provision to fulfill the asylum, SIV, and TPS needs of Afghan evacuees in Virginia.
LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF EASTERN VIRGINIA — Student Disability Rights Project — $25,000
The Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia (LASEV) promotes the equal application of justice and removes impediments to fairness for the low-income and vulnerable families of eastern Virginia. While meeting the individual legal needs of clients, LASEV aims to challenge systemic injustice and the root causes of poverty and inequality. Its Disability Rights Unit focuses on outreach to parents of children with disabilities in their service area, and this 2024 grant will significantly expand this program and increase the number of special education and student discipline cases involving disabled students.
LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF ROANOKE VALLEY — Roanoke Valley Domestic Violence
Survivors Civil Legal Services Project — $27,699.77
The Legal Aid Society of Roanoke Valley (LASRV) applies a full range of expert legal services to identify and resolve the most critical civil injustices facing low-income people. The Roanoke Valley Domestic Violence Survivors Civil Legal Services Project is a longstanding project of the LASRV, and it provides domestic violence survivors free legal advice and court representation in civil matters, along with assistance navigating the criminal justice system and associated processes. This grant will support outreach and education to underserved residents and strengthen LASRV’s collaborative network.
LEGAL SERVICES OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA — Domestic Violence Program — $25,000
Legal Services of Northern Virginia (LSNV) seeks to provide holistic legal services to low-income survivors of domestic violence, including immigrants who are victims of crime. Through its Domestic Violence Project, LSNV will help survivors of domestic violence obtain protective orders and other family law remedies by providing legal representation, and advice and counsel. As a result of these legal interventions, survivors of domestic violence will have safer, healthier and more stable lives.
LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA — Preserving the Governor Thomas Nelson Revolutionary Papers — $40,000
The Library of Virginia, founded in 1823, houses the most comprehensive collection of materials on Virginia government, history, and culture in the world and is the oldest cultural organization in the Commonwealth. This grant will support the conservation, digitization, and public accessibility of the Executive Papers of the Revolutionary era Virginia Governor Thomas Nelson. Documenting the service of Virginia’s fourth governor, these papers detail the challenges Nelson confronted at the end of the Revolutionary War, his efforts to meet these challenges, and life in Virginia during a turbulent time. By preserving and digitizing these documents, the project provides another avenue for students, teachers, historians and the general public to learn about Virginia and America’s legal history.
MADISON HOUSE — Free Tax Preparation Services — $10,000
As the University of Virginia’s volunteer center for students, Madison House develops leaders, builds community partnerships, and organizes service programs to address the needs of the community as well as the educational and personal growth objectives of students. This grant will support Madison House’s Cville Tax Aid Coalition, which provides free tax preparation services to low- and moderate-income residents of Central Virginia. Staffed by IRS-certified volunteers, including UVA students and community members, this program helps to ensure that underserved Central Virginians can access high-quality, accurate, and empathetic tax preparation services.
MARSHALL-WYTHE SCHOOL OF LAW FOUNDATION — Lewis B. Puller, Jr. Veterans Benefits Clinic — $15,000
William & Mary Law School’s Lewis B. Puller, Jr. Veterans Benefits Clinic addresses veterans’ needs holistically by combining legal and psychological assistance in the representation of veterans in disability compensation claims. Annually, the Puller Clinic manages approximately 100 veterans’ benefits cases, which amount to more that $500,000 in legal services each year. This Clinic ensures that former military service members in the Hampton Roads area can access the disability benefits they earned while simultaneously training the next generation of lawyers. Under the supervision of clinic attorneys, 16-20 law students each semester will receive intensive hands-on training in complex claims requiring extensive legal and factual research.
MONTPELIER FOUNDATION — Public Constitutional Initiatives and Education — $10,000
As the lifelong home of James Madison, Father of the Constitution and architect of the Bill of Rights, Montpelier’s mission is to communicate Madison’s role in creating our modern, democratic government. To meet the need for nonpartisan Constitutional education, Montpelier seeks to provide educational programming that equips Americans with constitutional knowledge, empowering them to apply that knowledge through increased civic participation. The Virginia Law Foundation grant will support the Director of the Center for the Constitution in implementing the programs designed to address the evidenced need for more accessible civic-focused programming.
REGENT UNIVERSITY — The Human Trafficking Vacatur Clinic — $10,000
Launched in 2023, the Human Trafficking Vacatur Clinic at Regent University’s Center for Global Justice aims to expand access to the Virginia vacatur law for victims of human trafficking. With support from the Virginia Law Foundation, the Clinic will conduct four training sessions to educate 100 court personnel on identifying victims who have been charged with crimes and are being screened for specialty dockets. This helps to eliminate legal barriers human trafficking victims often face, and with increased access to legal representation and dismissal of arrests and convictions, survivors are provided a chance to move forward in all aspects of life as they heal from the trauma of trafficking.
RESOLUTION VIRGINIA — Access to Co-Parenting Education — $10,000
Resolution Virginia is a consortium of non-profit community-based centers working to help Virginians resolve conflict constructively. State law requires parties to any petition where a child whose custody, visitation, or support is contested to attend an educational seminar that addresses the effects of separation or divorce on children, parenting responsibilities, conflict resolution, and effective communication. This court-ordered seminar can be a financial hardship, and this grant will support indigent parents by offsetting all or most of the cost of the Access to Co-Parenting Education program. By educating separating or separated parents on how to co-parent their children in a supportive and non-confrontational manner, their children experience the emotional and financial benefits of having both parents involved in their lives.
RICHMOND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH FOUNDATION — Access to Mental Health Treatment for Previously Incarcerated Individuals — $5,000
Richmond Behavioral Health (RBH) champions the health, wellness, and recovery of individuals and families, with its Foundation supporting this mission through community awareness initiatives and partnerships. As a united force, RBH takes an innovative approach to activating the power of behavioral health. This project aims to remove barriers and increase access to mental health treatment for individuals with low or no income, recently incarcerated, or experiencing homelessness in Richmond. By distributing phones with 30 days of minutes, the project addresses a significant barrier to mental health treatment – connection– and increases the likelihood of engagement in treatment among vulnerable populations.
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA LEGAL AID SOCIETY — Southwest Virginia Legal Educational Initiatives — $25,000
The Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society (SVLAS) champions equal justice for low-income Virginians by providing high-quality, courteous, and effective legal services to those facing serious threats to their personal, economic, or family stability. SVLAS will utilize this grant to develop two one-day conferences: one to serve professionals who work with victims of domestic violence and the other to enhance awareness and knowledge of attorneys concerning elder abuse. The conferences’ sessions will offer quality education to increase professional development and awareness while offering local and regional networking opportunities. Additionally, SVLAS will revitalize the Silence Isn’t Golden (SIG) Campaign by updating materials that will be distributed to seniors and agencies that assist seniors.
VIRGINIA BAR ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION — Advocacy Training Project — $5,000
The Advocacy Training Project combines the Model Judiciary Program and the National Moot Court Competition, two enduring programs of the Virginia Bar Association (VBA)’s Young Lawyer’s Division (YLD). Together, they form the YLD’s comprehensive advocacy initiative and are designed to increase confidence and education for students regarding the Rule of Law. These programs strive to increase awareness and understanding of the legal system by exposing high school and law school students to opportunities to hone their advocacy and public speaking skills, which are invaluable for their legal careers and beyond.
VIRGINIA BEACH COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES (CASA)— Volunteer Recruitment and Coordination — $15,000
Virginia Beach CASA supports and promotes court-appointed volunteer advocacy so that every abused and neglected child can be safe, establish permanence, and have the opportunity to thrive. With an increase in the number of cases – and number of children in each case – assigned by JDRC, this grant will support the expansion of Virginia Beach CASA’s volunteer development program and augment its capacity to advocate for each child assigned by the Court while simultaneously improving the quality of that advocacy.
VIRGINIA CIVICS EDUCATION, INC. — We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution Teacher Training Cohort Professional Development Series — $15,000
Virginia Civics empowers the next generation of leaders in Virginia through constitutional literacy, critical thinking, and civic engagement. Using a rigorous and proven professional development program, Virginia Civics will train elementary, middle, and high school teachers on using the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum to increase teacher and student knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, the Rule of Law, institutions of government, rights and responsibilities, and citizenship. Renowned scholars will facilitate development seminars across a fully funded five-day Summer Institute, and multiple one-day follow-up trainings in the fall, winter, and spring. The We the People curriculum has been fully mapped to Virginia’s Standards of Learning requirements and serves as an effective Performance-Based Assessment for teachers.
VIRGINIA HOLOCAUST MUSEUM — Rule of Law Day — $30,000
In partnership with the Virginia Law Foundation, the Virginia Holocaust Museum (VHM) & the Nuremberg Courtroom Committee (NCC) will host the Rule of Law Day program on October 16 at the VHM. This event will recognize individuals whose careers reflect the principals that were established during the Nuremberg Military Tribunal. The event will present the Rule of Law Award and the Civility in the Law Award to two outstanding leaders and recognize their significant contributions to their communities and the legal profession.
VIRGINIA JUDGES & LAWYERS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (VJLAP) — Wellness Conference — $20,000
Virginia Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program (VJLAP) provides confidential, non-disciplinary assistance to lawyers, judges, law students, and legal professionals who are experiencing professional impairment as a result of substance abuse or mental health problems. VJLAP’s services are designed to promote recovery, protect the client, prevent disciplinary problems for the lawyer, support their families and professional associates, and strengthen the profession. To better equip legal professional with information and tools for detecting, intervening early, and addressing substance use and mental health concerns, VJLAP will present a multi-day wellness conference. This event will provide attendees opportunities for professional enhancement, wellness skill-building, and community-building.
VIRGINIA LAW SCHOOLS — Public Service Internships — $59,500
Supported by the Virginia Law Foundation since 1989, public service internships for first- and second-year law students help bring to light the importance of public interest and pro bono work. Each of Virginia’s eight American Bar Association-accredited law schools receives funding for public service internships during the summer. The students work under the supervision of an attorney. The work they complete varies widely, depending on the missions and caseloads of their host organizations. Some students gain experience working on individual client matters and others work on larger projects in an organization’s service area.
VIRGINIA LEGAL AID SOCIETY — Protection for Domestic Violence Survivors — $30,000
The Virginia Legal Aid Society (VLAS) resolves the serious legal problems of low-income people, promotes economic and family stability, reduces poverty through effective legal assistance, and champions equal justice. With this grant, VLAS will provide legal representation, advice, outreach and education to support domestic violence survivors and the people who depend on them. This initiative will impact upwards of 1,800 people in 26 cities and counties in central, southside, and western Tidewater Virginia.
VIRGINIA POVERTY LAW CENTER — Annual Statewide Legal Aid Conference— $40,000
The Virginia Poverty Law Center (VPLC) breaks down systemic barriers that keep low-income Virginians in the cycle of poverty through advocacy, education, and litigation. Each year, the VPLC holds the Statewide Legal Aid Conference to provide CLE-certified trainings on poverty law issues, including consumer, health, family, housing, and other areas of civil poverty law, and this grant will help underwrite costs associated with the multi-day event. As the premier poverty legal education conference in Virginia, the expanded hybrid model allows more people to attend either in-person or remotely to learn how to best support their low-income clients and obtain their required CLE credits at no cost to them or their legal aid organization.
VIRGINIA STATE BAR DIVERSITY CONFERENCE — Oliver Hill/Samuel Tucker Pre-Law Institute — $15,000
The Virginia State Bar Diversity Conference fosters and encourages diversity and inclusion in admission to the bar and advancement in the legal profession and in the judiciary. Named for legendary civil rights attorneys Oliver Hill and Samuel Tucker, the Hill Tucker Pre-Law Institute is presented annually and seeks to increase diversity in the legal profession by reaching future lawyers at an early age. For one week, diverse and academically at-risk high school students in Virginia stay on a college campus and attend mock classes and seminars on a variety of topics, including but not limited to, career opportunities in the law, test taking strategies, and the college admissions process. Support from this grant enables this Institute to be offered at no cost to all attendees.
VIRGINIA VICTIM ASSISTANCE NETWORK — Victim/Witness Advocate Training Programs — $15,000
Virginia Victim Assistance Network (VVAN) advocates for the needs of crime victims, provides victim assistance training for professionals, and is the Commonwealth’s statewide membership organization for victim/witness advocates and other victim services professionals. Annually, its membership organizations aid more than 75,000 crime victims. The Virginia Law Foundation’s grant will support two programs: the Victim/Witness Directors’ Forum and the 42nd Annual Conference on Crime Victims’ Issues. These comprehensive educational programs are designed for both beginning and experienced crime victim advocates to implement current, evidence-based practices that promote access to justice, amplify victims’ needs, and minimize the re-traumatization often inherent within the legal system.
