Bar foundation awards 2013 grants

The Foundation of the Monroe County Bar on Thursday announced the award of seven 2013 grants totaling $42,000 to support programs that benefit the legal community and the community as a whole.

Several recipient programs help youth in need in the Greater Rochester community, as part of the foundation’s mission. The grants are possible through the foundation’s annual Raise the Bar appeal and the Jazz For Justice fundraising event. Based on recommendations by the Grants Committee, the foundation’s board of directors approved the following:

• Rochester Legal Diversity Clerkship Program: $17,500 to pay the salary of a first-year law student employed by a legal service provider for a 10-week summer internship and help defray costs of educational and social programs held for the students throughout the summer.

• Rochester Teen Court: $14,500 to help fund the court under the umbrella of The Center for Youth.

• Lawyers for Learning Peace Camp: $3,500 for the program sponsored by Lawyers for Learning. As part of a partnership with the Monroe County Center for Education, Peace Camp gives underprivileged children an opportunity to learn the importance of appropriate behavior and working together with civility.

• A.C.T. For the Children (Assisting Children through Transition): $3,000 to help children whose parents divorce or separate. The program also provides parents an overview of the legal process and various options to resolve their differences.

• Deaf Equal Access Fund of the Monroe County Bar Association: $1,500 to help provide member attorneys with partial reimbursement for the costs of interpreters for the deaf and hard of hearing, hired through a collaborative partnership with Lifespan.

• Sydney R. Rubin Mock Trial Competition: $1,000 to help fund the annual high school mock trial competition, which provides an opportunity for students to learn about the law.

• Seneca Waterways Council — Exploring Mock Trial Competition: $1,000 to help fund the annual competition at the Monroe County Courthouse, culminating the Exploring Law Program.