Friday, February 28, 2020
The directors of the Alberta Law Foundation believe in the value of a sustainable, effective legal aid program for Albertans.
The Foundation has agreed to make a special contribution of $34.4 million from its Strategic Reserve Fund over three years to sustain Legal Aid Alberta in its mission to provide legal assistance to Alberta’s most vulnerable citizens. This contribution is in addition to the annual contribution made by the Foundation equal to 25% of the interest it receives on lawyers’ pooled trust accounts.
Through its regular grant stream, the Foundation will continue to support programs that provide legal information, advice and representation to vulnerable Albertans who do not qualify for assistance from Legal Aid Alberta.
In 2018-19, non-profit organizations funded by grants from the Foundation provided legal information, education, advice and representation to over 250,000 Albertans, supported by over 7,800 hours of pro bono lawyer time.
The Alberta Law Foundation was created in 1973 under the Alberta Legal Profession Act. It receives the interest paid by financial institutions on lawyers’ pooled trust accounts in Alberta. In addition to its mandate to contribute to the costs of the legal aid plan, the Foundation provides grants to non-profit organizations to support programs and projects involving:
- research into and recommendations for reform of the law and the administration of justice;
- maintenance of law libraries;
- legal education and information for the public;
- Indigenous people’s legal programs; and
- student legal aid programs, pro bono legal assistance programs and programs of like nature.
