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By Roger R. Scott
Dear Friends,
It has been my privilege to serve as chairperson of the Oklahoma
Bar Foundation Fellows program for the past two years. Your foundation
has enjoyed unprecedented growth in recent years. OBF is continually
improving our grant process, and we are proud of our progress. New
organizations were funded last year, and more initiatives will be
funded this year through the availability of added grant funding.
Your OBF Grants and Awards Committee is hard at work evaluating and
interviewing prospective candidates for the 2007 grant year.
We need your help! I ask that you
join the OBF Fellows program today and invite others to become Fellows.
Fellow membership is an easy and painless opportunity to become even
more involved in helping to make a difference in the lives of others
while enhancing the image of our legal profession. I can’t
think of a good reason for not being an OBF Fellow!
Becoming a Fellow is a simple request that every attorney
should do. Please don’t delay joining the Fellows any longer
and join today. Legal needs in Oklahoma are greater than ever, and
you can help with the work of your foundation . When you
join the Fellows program you don’t just belong to the foundation – it
belongs to you!
•
Legal Services – OBF awards financial
support that helps make legal assistance in civil proceedings possible
for the most vulnerable citizens of our state, poorer Oklahomans
and the elderly. Support for Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma (LASO)
and Oklahoma Indian Legal Services (OILS) is one of the essential
aspects of our mission. Last year $280,000 was given not only for
legal representation and advice, but for educational programs that
will help citizens find solutions and aid in the prevention of future
problems. More than $3.7 million has been given over
the past
20 years to support these programs.
•
Senior Services – The 2000 U.S.
Census reported 429,566 Oklahomans were 65 years of age and older.
By 2015, the over age 65 population is predicted to increase by 37
percent and will likely double by 2030. OBF funded new programs during
2006 that will provide added services beyond what legal aid providers
are able to serve. Last year OBF awarded $38,000 to help
promote new initiatives, Senior Law Resource Center and
the Oklahoma Court Appointed Advocates for Vulnerable Adults
program.
•
Children’s Legal Service Programs – OBF
funded newer programs that provide special children’s advocacy
and pro bono legal services, in addition to the many children being
served through legal aid providers. During 2006 $38,000 was awarded
to Oklahoma Court Appointed Special Advocates, Tulsa Lawyers for
Children and the Mayes County Youth Court programs. More
than $160,000 has been given over the years to provide
specialized volunteer training and to expand attorney pro bono
services.
•
Domestic Violence and Victim Programs – The
Domestic Violence Division of Oklahoma Indian Legal Services and
SANE of Southwest Oklahoma received funding to assist in special
legal service areas. More than $150,000 has been awarded by the
foundation for victims’ education and assistance programs
since 1986.
•
Legal Education – OBF has supported law-related education programs
for thousands of Oklahoma school children and the general public for many years.
These grants have also enabled hundreds of Oklahoma lawyers to find new ways
to get involved in the community, balance their professional responsibilities
with the rest of their life and help all those involved in the Oklahoma legal
system to bring their highest ideals to the practice of law. Scores of law
students have been helped through scholarship programs and the foundation is
pleased to announce the new Oklahoma Bar Foundation Fellows’ Law Student
Scholarship Program this year. During 2006 $97,000 was awarded for education
and more than $1.8 million has been awarded for legal education since 1986.
•
Philanthropic Voice – Your bar foundation has become a clear vehicle
where members of the Oklahoma bar, other foundation partners and concerned
Oklahoma citizens can make a difference through philanthropy.
Fellows are the backbone of the Oklahoma Bar
Foundation and are very important to the work of the foundation.
Fellows represent a distinguished group of attorneys who embody
the highest traditions and ideals of our legal profession. Without
the ongoing leadership and financial contributions from Fellows,
many public service efforts might not be possible. Every attorney
should be a Fellow.
Trustees look forward to working with you and those
you refer for Fellowship. We know you take pride in the work that
is being done on behalf of Oklahoma attorneys for the betterment
of our great state and our profession and want to become a supporting
member of the OBF team!
Sincerely,
Roger R. Scott
Chair, OBF Fellows
Program
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