The American Bar Endowment (“ABE”), an independent, not-for-profit public charity, provides annual grants to help close the gap in access to justice for thousands of low and moderate-income and vulnerable Americans.  Organizations across the country are working diligently to close this gap, yet funding for legal services has never kept pace with the need. Solving a legal problem can also often resolve other social service challenges, like unjust incarceration, unemployment, homelessness, family violence, food insecurity, access to healthcare, restoration of rights, family stability, and so many more. The ABE recently surpassed an exciting $300 million milestone:

Stephen N. Zack, the ABE's President, said, "The entire ABE Board of Directors is elated to have surpassed an exciting grantmaking milestone of over $300 million, and our deepest thanks go out to the ABE insureds who made it possible." This year in the 2020 grant cycle, the American Bar Endowment has awarded over $7 million in grants to the American Bar Foundation (ABF) and the ABA Fund for Justice and Education (FJE), each receiving almost $3.4 million for vital law-related legal service, education, and research programs.

Over the past 64 years of grantmaking and over $300 million in funding, the ABE is proud to be part of efforts across the country to close the justice gap so well documented by, for example, ABF researcher Becky Sandefur.  In addition to funding efforts focused on increasing access to justice, the ABE grants have helped enhance understanding of the law in action and improve the administration of justice.  Supported in part by ABE grants, the stellar research of the ABF and the public service initiatives of the FJE identify and address the urgent legal needs and help ensure the legal rights of individuals," Joanne Martin, Executive Director of the ABE, said.

Read more about this exciting development here.