WHAT WE DO

Reaching Out to Our Profession and Our Community

The Cincinnati Bar FoundationÕs tradition of making grants and otherwise encouraging programs that improve access to justice and support the legal profession began in 1961. As the only fully-independent law-related charitable organization in Cincinnati, we have witnessed some major accomplishments in our 40-plus years of existence. To have a successful charitable enterprise we need talent, time and money. Through the support of our legal profession, the Cincinnati Bar Foundation has obtained all three.

Seed money and grants from the Foundation are awarded on a semi-annual basis and are concentrated in these areas:

Education and Training Programs to help lawyers improve themselves and their careers
“Filling in the gaps” with legal education and assistance programs for our community
Improving the image of the legal profession

What We Have Done

Providing Education & Training:

Largest contributor toward the purchase of the Cincinnati Bar Center to provide a place for attorneys to get CLE training at a cost below the market rate
Teach teens, senior citizens and individuals about their rights and responsibilities under the law
Annually fund the Ohio Mock Trial Competition: over 150 attorney volunteers teach 42 teams of students from 22 area high schools about citizenship

Filling in the Gaps for Our Community:

Fund ProKids to train Court Appointed Special Advocates to monitor children in the Hamilton County Justice System
Reducing the homicides in Cincinnati by starting the Out of the Crossfire Gunshot Intervention program with University Hospital
Work with UC & Chase law students to provide 160 needy clients with pro-bono legal aid

Improving Our Image

Leadership training for lawyers
Annual support of Law Day to teach the public about the American jury system
Lifetime Achievement in Law Award presented deserving attorneys to honor 50 years in practice

What We Want To Do

To address the needs of our profession and our community, the Foundation has undertaken a campaign to increase our grant-making capacity. We are soliciting gifts for seed money for these new legal projects and others that need our support:

New Community Justice projects
Education & training scholarships based on merit
Help for ill, indigent, and aged lawyers, including assistance programs for lawyers who are battling depression, mental illness or chemical dependency

What You Can Do

You can help the Foundation by investing inÉGiving Opportunities:

Individual Contributions
Annual Campaign Gifts
Annual Advocate Gift
CBA Bar Dues Check-off
Gifts of Stock
Special Events
Tribute & Memorial Gifts

Named Funds:
You can make a “Named” Contribution to the general fund, established in recognition of an attorney, with a gift of $15,000 by one contributor or a group. Justice Fund honorees receive special recognition in the form of a permanent copper-etched plaque and biographical sketch maintained at the Cincinnati Bar Center.

Designated Funds:
You can create a fund for a designated purpose. Or, the Foundation has the following “Designated” Funds currently accepting donations:

Michael H. Neumark Scholarship & Development Fund
Cincinnati Academy of Leadership for Lawyers
Mock Trial Fund
Round Table Founders Fund
John W. Warrington Community Service Fund
Out of the Crossfire Gun Violence Intervention