CBA Record May-June 2024

Chicago Bar Foundation Report

Building a Fairer and Better Justice System Together for 75 Years By Emme Veenbaas, CBF Senior Manager of Communications & Events A s the CBA celebrates its milestone 150th anniversary, The Chicago Bar Foundation is proud to have been an inte gral part of that rich history for the past 75 years. CBF 75th Anniversary committee members and staff gathered for a celebration at the law offices of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP. From left to right: Caitlin Kolb Poirier, Bob Glaves, Shannon Gross, Elizabeth Lewis, Brent Vincent, Kenya Jenkins-Wright, Melanie MacBride, Emme Veenbaas, Sang-yul Lee, and Sang Yup Lee.

issues. What started as one $100 grant to the Legal Aid Bureau in 1952 has evolved into what is now over $7 million in annual grants to more than 30 pro bono and legal aid organizations and related initiatives. As a result, tens of thousands of people can get the legal help they need each year, and the courts and legal system are more fair, accessible, and efficient for all. The CBF’s growth and impact have only been possible thanks to the strong support of thousands of individual donors, more than 150 law firms and corporations, and many other committed supporters and partners each year. The timeline on the opposite page is just a snapshot of the CBF’s nationally recognized impact over these first 75 years. We look forward to more growth and success working with the CBA for many years to come. To learn more about the Foundation, visit www.chicagobar foundation.org.

The Foundation began in June 1948 when CBA leaders met to discuss how the CBA could encourage its lawyer members to support charitable and educational causes. From that discussion, The Chicago Bar Foundation (originally called The Chicago Bar Association Foundation) was formed. Since then, the CBF has grown into a powerful force that works hand in hand with the CBA to bring Chicago’s legal community together to improve access to justice for people in need and make the legal system more fair, equitable, and effective for all. Today, the CBF is the largest voluntarily supported bar foun dation in the United States. It is at the forefront of developing innovative solutions to systemic and emerging access to justice

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