Foundation Grants Awarded in 2008

Under the leadership of 2007-08 Foundation President, Don H. Twietmeyer and based on recommendations by the Grants Committee, chaired by Helen (Lisa) Reagan, the Foundation's Board of Directors approved grants for the following projects:

Rochester Teen Court

The grant in the amount of $9,000 will be used to help fund the Rochester Teen Court, under the umbrella of The Center for Youth. Teen Court is a diversion program operated through the City Court of Rochester for young adults who have committed first-time, non-violent crimes.  Defendants whose cases are transferred to Teen Court have a disposition of their criminal charges by teen peers acting as prosecutors, defense counsel, court personnel and jurors. A sitting City of Rochester Court judge presides over the proceedings, and teen jurors recommend sentencing.

Teen Court is designed to provide education to youth about the judicial process; promote accountability for actions; and reinforce responsibility to society through community service and educational sentencing.

Monroe County Bar Association & the Monroe County Bar Center for Education

The MCBA will use the grants received for Deaf Equal Access Fund (DEAFund) of the Monroe County Bar Association, the “How to Choose a Lawyer” Public Education Program, the Law Practice Continuity Registry, the Minority Clerkship Program, the Sitting Judge and Judiciary Evaluations, and the Sydney R. Rubin High School Mock Trial Competition

The Deaf Equal Access Fund of the Monroe County Bar Association received a grant for $3,000 to help provide member attorneys with partial reimbursement for the costs of interpreters hired through a collaborative partnership with Lifespan that provides certified interpreters at a discounted rate. The MCBA is committed to promoting equal access to local attorneys for the Greater Rochester Area's 50,000 deaf and hard of hearing citizens, and ensuring that local attorneys are fulfilling their obligations to this unique community according to the requirements of the American with Disabilities Act.

The “ How to Choose a Lawyer” Public Education Program received a grant for $2,500. This unbiased program is designed to better educate the public on selecting an appropriate attorney for specific types of legal matters without relying on the heavily saturated marketing of attorney advertising. Material from the MCBA website www.HowToChooseALawyer.com will be used as a basis for communications and print advertising.

The Law Practice Continuity Registry program received a grant for $2,000 for program development and database costs. The registry will enable attorneys to register their law practice designee, and all of their contact information, in the event of their illness, death or some other matter that would end, either permanently or temporarily, their practice of law.

The Minority Clerkship Program received a grant in the amount of $9,500 to the MCB Center for Education to fund first year law students with one of the legal service providers for a 10-week summer internship in 2009, and to provide funding of programmatic expenses.

The MCBA's Sitting Judge/Judiciary Evaluation Program received a grant in the amount of $2,000 to partially fund survey costs for the Sitting Judge Evaluation – evaluation of judges currently presiding in the City, County, Family, Supreme and Surrogate's Courts of the City of Rochester and County of Monroe – as well as the Judiciary Evaluation – evaluation of candidates seeking judgeships for City, County, Family, Supreme and Surrogate's Courts of the City of Rochester and County of Monroe.

The Sydney R. Rubin High School Mock Trial Competition received a grant in the amount of $2,000, and will use the funds to continue its annual competition. The competition provides an opportunity for high school students to learn about the law and its protocol and procedures, as students from different schools from throughout Monroe County compete against each other in trial competitions. Each year, the tournaments hosts 200 to 250 students representing 18-22 high schools, along with a number of teacher coaches, attorney team advisors, judges and court personnel.