Federal court announces grants

Chief Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford has announced that the judges of the United States District Court for the Western District of New York have approved $35,000 in grants.

The funds are distributed from the District Court Fund, which accumulates funds from a portion of the admission fees paid by attorneys seeking admission to the court, as well as from fees paid by attorneys admitted temporarily to the court for a specific case.

The fund is used for purposes which support the Court, members of the bar, and the community by fostering efficient and effective administration of justice, and by developing programs and educational initiatives related to the law, legal services, and improved access to justice.

The grants include:

• Minority Bar Foundation of Western New York: $5,000 to support the Honorable Hugh B. Scott Scholarship Fund.
• Rochester Black Bar Foundation: $5,000 to support the Honorable Roy W. King Diversity Clerkship Program, a 10-week summer clerkship program for historically underrepresented and underserved law students who have completed their first year of law school, designed to provide a direct hiring pipeline to legal organizations seeking to increase diversity in the legal field in Rochester.
• Bar Association of Erie County Volunteer Lawyers Project: $5,000 to support their ongoing efforts in support of pro se litigants in federal court.
• Bar Association of Erie County Foundation: $5,000 for their programs designed to assist attorneys with health and well-being, including the Member Assistance Program which provides attorneys and their families immediate access to counseling services for a wide variety of needs, from workplace stress to family crises to depression and anxiety.
• Foundation of the Monroe County Bar: $5,000 for their health and well-being programs, designed to provide counseling and support to lawyers through various initiatives.
• JustCause: $5,000 to support their ongoing efforts in support of pro se litigants in federal court.
• Legal Aid Bureau of Buffalo: $5,000 to support the Education Advocacy Program, which provides representation to children and families to assist in-school discipline, special education, and other related matters in our community.

For more information, visit www.nywd.uscourts.gov, or call (585) 613-4000.