Mission & History
"Equal justice under law is not merely a caption on the facade of the Supreme Court building, it is perhaps the most inspiring ideal of our society. It is one of the ends for which our entire legal system exists...it is fundamental that justice should be the same, in substance and availability, without regard to economic status."- Lewis Powell, Jr. U.S. Supreme Court Justice (ret.) During his tenure as President of the American Bar Association
Promoting a Just Society
A non-profit organization established in 1952, the Connecticut Bar Foundation works to ensure that the state’s legal system is available to all, regardless of power or resources.
To promote equal access to justice in Connecticut, the Connecticut Bar Foundation:
- administers grant funding to support access to legal aid services for those who cannot afford private counsel,
- funds scholarships, based on financial need, for Connecticut students attending law schools in the state, and
- develops and oversees programs to enhance the understanding and improvement of the law and legal institutions.
To fund legal services, the Foundation administers the following grant programs:
- The Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts and the Interest on Trust Accounts (IOLTA/IOTA) programs
- The Judicial Branch Grants-in-Aid grant program, and
- The Court Fees Grants-in-Aid program.
In 1994, the Foundation established the James W. Cooper Fellows as the result of a generous bequest from James W. Cooper. The Fellows sponsor projects and programs that enhance understanding of the role of law in society and promote the highest ideals of the legal system.
The Foundation invites you to join our efforts to provide access to justice for all people in Connecticut by donating now. To learn more, email ctbf@ctbarfdn.org.
