The Charitable Arm of the Birmingham Bar Association
The Birmingham Bar Foundation serves as the charitable arm of our Association. Established in 1994 as a non-profit corporation, the Foundation functions to promote and support charitable work of the Bar and activities in furtherance of justice and legal education. You may contact the Birmingham Bar Foundation at 2021 2nd Avenue North, Birmingham Alabama 35203, (205) 251-2231, bbfound@bellsouth.net.
Appellate Court Arguments 2008
Board of Directors
Bunny Bag Wine Tasting to Benefit Children of Domestic Violence
Charitable Equipment Program
Grants
History
Juror Handbooks
Luck be a Lawyer
Memorial Scholarship Fund
2008 Appellate Courts' Reception
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Saint Paul Cathedral Life Center - Great Hall
2120 3rd Avenue North (enter Great Hall on 4th Avenue North)
Tickets - $25.00 per person
2008 Oral Arguments of the Alabama Supreme Court and Court of Civil Appeals
Thursday, April 17, 2008
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Wright Center - Samford University
800 Lakeshore Drive
Oral Arguments are free of charge and open to the public.
The 4th annual convening of the Alabama Appellate Courts in Birmingham is set for April 16 - 17, 2008. Please make your plans to attend the reception welcoming the Alabama Supreme Court and Court of Civil Appeals to town on Wednesday, April 16th at St. Paul's Cathedral Life Center. Also, on Thusrday, April 17th the Courts will be in session hearing oral arguments at Samford Wright Center. Students from area schools and members of the legal community and public are invited to attend the arguments. The Appellate Courts and the attorneys representing parties in the cases always bring an engaging presentation of Alabama's judicial system at work. For more information, contact Committee Chair Leslie Barineau at 205-251-9200 or the Bar Foundation at 205-251-2231 or bbfound@bellsouth.net. The events are sponsored by the Birmingham Bar Foundation and Cumberland School of Law. Reception tickets and Oral Arguments information are available now by contacting the Bar Foundation.
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- FERRIS S. RITCHEY, III, PRESIDENT
- ANNE LAMKIN DURWARD, VICE PRESIDENT
- LABELLA S. ALVIS, TREASURER
- LESLIE R. BARINEAU, SECRETARY
- HONORABLE C. TOMMY NAIL, IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
- ROBERT R. BAUGH
- JENNA M. BEDSOLE
- ANDREW B. BUCK
- ROBIN L. BURRELL
- D. SIMS CRAWFORD
- GREGORY T. DENNY
- AUGUSTA S. DOWD
- CATHY JONES EADES
- MICHAEL D. FREEMAN
- WILLIE FLORENCE, SR.
- SCOTT W. FORD
- ARNITA B. FOSTER
- GEORGIA S. HAGGERTY
- RHONDA S. HOOD
- ANTHONY A. JOSEPH
- WILLIAM B. LLOYD
- J. TERRY MCELHENY
- EUNICE H. MORROW
- JOHN D. SAXON
- T. SPIN SPIRES
- MARDA W. SYDNOR
- R. HENRY TALIAFERRO
- W. LEE THURSTON
- SUSAN S. WAGNER
- JAMES S. WARD
- C. LOGAN HINKLE, BOARD ATTORNEY
- RICHARD S. WALKER, LIAISON, BBA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEE
Bunny Bag Wine Tasting to Benefit Children of Domestic Violence
Since 2005 the Women Lawyers Section and the Foundation have sponsored the Bunny Bag Project for children whose parents are victims of domestic violence. The project provides children who have witnessed domestic violence with a bunny coloring book, crayons and a stuffed bunny to comfort them while their parents get help. The books provide safety information for kids, along with an opportunity to color and draw objects that reinforce a safe environment and the message that violence is not okay. The bags also contain information about the local domestic violence hotline. Children who witness domestic violence are traumatized by what they experience and can suffer emotional, psychological and physical problems as a result. Problems are made worse when they later listen to their mothers recount the violence before a law enforcement officer, shelter operator or lawyer. These children become the "silent victims" of domestic abuse - not physical targets, but they suffer just the same. Bunny Bags help to lessen this suffering.
The American Bar Association's Commission on Domestic Violence began the Bunny Bag Program in 2000 with an initial national distribution of 10,000 bags in a grant-funded project. The Birmingham Bar Association's Young Lawyers Section (YLS) was one of the organizations in only three pilot cities in the nation to receive Bunny Bags through this initial grant-funded project. Thereafter, the YLS continued the project by raising money to purchase more bags and organizing a domestic violence conference for junior high school girls in the Birmingham area.
The Women Lawyers Section and the Bar Foundation now continue the Bunny Bag Project. On September 27, 2007 the Wine Tasting for a Cause fundraiser was held at Village Wine Market in English Village. Sponsors for the Wine Tasting included: Access Nurse Consultants & 24/7 Marketing; Alabama Association of Paralegals, Birmingham Chapter; Associated Court Reporters; Carr Allison; Gathings Law; Joe B. Mays, Jr.; Miller, Hamilton, Snider & Odum, L.L.C.; Ogletree Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.; Source One Legal Copy; and, Katie Suttle Weinert & Nathan Weinert. Proceeds from the event were used to purchase more Bunny Bags to be distributed through the Birmingham YMCA and Judge Annetta Verin's Court in the Jefferson County Bessemer Division. Altogether, approximately 6,000 Bunny Bags have been distributed by the Bar Foundation, the Women Lawyers Section and the Young Lawyers Section to children who have witnessed abuse. The next Wine Tasting fundraiser is planned for February 2009.
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Charitable Equipment Program
Designed to match law firm surplus equipment and furniture with needy charitable groups, CEP is a conduit matching equipment available to needs in our area. Lawyers benefit by having a quick, easy, user-friendly way to dispose of unused office items while supporting the charitable work of the Foundation. Also, lawyers may claim a charitable deduction for the fair market value of items passed on to needy organizations. Please contact 205-251-2231 or bbfound@bellsouth.net regarding items you have to donate or call if you know a charity in need of office equipment.
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Grants
Approximately $94,626.80 was awarded in 2007 to charitable causes as follows:
| Jefferson Rehabilitation & Health Center Ketona | $3,000.00 |
| Alabama Lawyers Assistance | $1,000.00 |
| Alabama Appleseed | $1,000.00 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters School Supplies Drive | $525.00 |
| Birmingham Legal Aid Society | $7,500.00 |
| Birmingham Volunteer Lawyers Program | $7,500.00 |
| Hands On Birmingham | $3,101.82 |
| Kid One Transport (BLSA) | $500.00 |
| ASB Family Law Section Scholarships | $500.00 |
| Children's First (ASB Family Law Section) | $4,166.66 |
| Storybook Farms (ASB Family Law Section) | $4,166.66 |
| National Childrens' Advocacy Center (ASB Family Law Section) | $4,166.66 |
| Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA) | $2,500.00 |
| Heart Gallery (Young Lawyers Section Grant) | $27,500.00 |
| Cornerstone Schools (Young Lawyers Section Grant) | $27,500.00 |
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History
In 1994 the Birmingham Bar Foundation was incorporated as the charitable arm of the Birmingham Bar Association and its initial board of directors included President Ronnie Noojin, Vice President Edgar Elliott, Secretary Treasurer Bill Clark, Edward Allen, Andrew Campbell, Bill Dawson, Tim Dillard, Warren Lightfoot, Rodney Max, Carol Sue Nelson, Alton Parker, Lee Pittman, Ferris Ritchey, III, Bill Rose, and Tom Woodall. During that same time, the Birmingham Bar Association, under the leadership of President Bill Clark and President-Elect Fred Ingram, was exploring purchasing property located on 2nd Avenue North and known as the Drennen Building in which to house its operations. Bar Association leadership determined that the Foundation would purchase and renovate the building. A plan was formed whereby Bar Association members would be asked to participate in a Capital Campaign and pledge $100 per year for five (5) years to pay for the $1.2 million building project. The Bar Association would be the Foundation's major tenant. Many firms and attorneys renewed their pledges for additional years and gave generously to the building campaign. Through these gifts the mortgage was paid in full in January 2003. A donor recognition wall stands in the Bar Center lobby paying tribute to these many generous gifts.
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Juror Handbooks
In April 2007 the Bar Foundation released its revised edition of the Birmingham 10th Judicial Circuit Juror Handbook to be used by citizens reporting for jury duty. The 2007 revised edition is the second publication of the handbook. The first publication of 15,000 copies was in 2005. Presiding Judge J. Scott Vowell was instrumental in the editing and revising of both editions of the handbook citing the guide as a great tool "to assist citizens in serving their important role in preserving our Constitutional rights to a jury trial in Civil and Criminal cases. The justice system works best when jurors are informed of and fulfill their duty as the fact finders in cases pending before the Courts." The publication and distribution of the Juror Handbook will help jurors in fulfilling these responsibilities. In June 2007 the Birmingham Bar Foundation presented 10,000 copies to the Birmingham 10th Judicial Circuit at a ceremony in the Jury Assembly Room. The 2005 edition and the revised 2007 publication are the first Juror Handbooks provided since the State of Alabama stopped providing informational guides to jurors in 1992 because of funding restraints. The Bar Foundation plans to continue publishing the Juror Handbooks for the 10th Judicial Circuit, Birmingham division.
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Luck be a Lawyer
Since Luck be a Lawyer began in 2003, the Birmingham Bar Foundation has raised $100,000 for charitable purposes and treated guests to a fun filled evening each year. The 2008 Luck be a Lawyer Fall Charity Ball is set for Saturday, October 25, 2008 at 8:00 p.m. at SoHo Rosewood Ball in the Homewood City Hall. The goal for the 5th annual black tie gala is to raise $75,000 for charitable purposes. The fun filled evening will include the live band Mumbo Jumbo, food and open bar catering and a casino environment. The new SoHo venue will allow for more casino tables, more guest seating, and a spacious area for enjoying the music and food.
Sponsorship Levels:
Gold ($2,500) 10 tickets, name in marketing materials, name on poker chips, playing cards or chip bags;
Silver ($1,000) 6 tickets, name in marketing materials, name on gaming table;
Bronze ($500) 2 tickets, name in marketing materials;
Raffle Prizes & In Kind Gifts 2 to 6 tickets, name in marketing materials.
Sponsorships need to be purchased by August 15, 2008.
General admission tickets are $100 per person (open to attorneys and guests). For more information, contact Committee Chair Anne Lamkin Durward at 205-838-9005 or the Bar Foundation at 205-251-2231 or bbfound@bellsouth.net.
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Memorial Scholarship Fund
A special way to honor a loved one, the Memorial Scholarship Fund allows family and friends to pay tribute to a Birmingham Attorney, his or her spouse, child or friend. Written acknowledgements to all contributors and the surviving family members are sent. Your gifts provide funds for annual law school scholarships presented by the Birmingham Bar Association. Please include with your contribution the name, relationship and address of the person to whom your gift can be acknowledged.
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