ABI Endowment Fund Awards New Grant to Develop Bankruptcy Pro Bono Legal Service Provider Database

ABI Endowment Fund Awards New Grant to Develop Bankruptcy Pro Bono Legal Service Provider Database

Contact: John Hartgen
              (703) 739-0800
             
[email protected]

ABI ENDOWMENT FUND AWARDS NEW GRANT TO DEVELOP BANKRUPTCY PRO BONO LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDER DATABASE

December 11, 2008, Alexandria, Va. -- The American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Endowment Fund has awarded a $26,950 grant to the Institute for Financial Literacy to develop a bankruptcy pro bono legal service provider resource database. The database is intended to create a vital long-term resource for consumers, social service agencies, credit counseling agencies and others who need to contact pro bono, or free, legal service providers that offer bankruptcy services.

The Institute for Financial Literacy will build the comprehensive database of pro bono providers by directly contacting all state bar associations, legal services offices, law schools and established pro bono organizations. An earlier pro bono database is now outdated.

The following information will be captured in the database:

  • Organization contact information
  • Chapters of bankruptcy for which representation is provided
  • Other matters handled (for example foreclosures, 341 meetings)
  • Income eligibility guidelines
  • Limits on representations, if any
  • Representations by lawyers or nonlawyers
  • Representations of clients or just offering assistance in preparation of filings
  • Arrangement of credit counseling and debtor education
  • Preparation of court fee waiver for clients.

The target completion date for the database is Jan. 31, 2009.

The Institute for Financial Literacy (IFL) is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization whose mission is to make effective literacy education available for all Americans. The IFL works with organizations to incorporate financial education into their existing services. The IFL also provides direct financial counseling and education to the general public, including those seeking bankruptcy relief.

The ABI Endowment Fund was created in 1989 to provide a secure financial base for the Institute and to provide resources for insolvency research and education. Projects eligible for Endowment funding include research by individuals or entities relating to bankruptcy or insolvency; surveys or other analytical investigation; the education of judges, court personnel, other governmental personnel and the general public; scholarships or other educational grants; support for ABI’s Robert M. Zinman Resident Scholar; and support for both the Chief Judge Conrad B. Duberstein National Bankruptcy Memorial Moot Court Competition and ABI’s Corporate Restructuring Competition. Since 1998, the Fund has awarded more than $800,000 in grants and scholarships. Learn more about the ABI Endowment fund by visiting www.abiworld.org/contribute.

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ABI is the largest multi-disciplinary, nonpartisan organization dedicated to research and education on matters related to insolvency. ABI was founded in 1982 to provide Congress and the public with unbiased analysis of bankruptcy issues. The ABI membership includes more than 11,700 attorneys, accountants, bankers, judges, professors, lenders, turnaround specialists and other bankruptcy professionals, providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and information. For additional information on ABI, visit www.abiworld.org. For additional conference information, visit http://www.abiworld.org/conferences.html.