Contact: John Hartgen
(703) 739-0800
color='#0000ff'>jhartgen@abiworld.org
ABI
ENDOWMENT FUND AWARDS NEW GRANT TO DEVELOP BANKRUPTCY
face='Times New Roman' size='3'>PRO BONO LEGAL
SERVICE PROVIDER DATABASE
size='3'>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
size='3'>pro bono, or free, legal service
providers that offer bankruptcy services.
The Institute for
Financial Literacy will build the comprehensive database of
pro bono
size='3'>providers by directly contacting all state bar associations,
legal services offices, law schools and established
face='Times New Roman' size='3'>pro bono
size='3'>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outdated.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
href='http://www.abiworld.org/contribute'>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
title='blocked::http://www.abiworld.org/conferences.html'
href='http://www.abiworld.org/conferences.html'>
color='#0000ff'>http://www.abiworld.org/conferences.html.