MINUTES – December 19, 2002
WEST VIRGINIA BAR FOUNDATION, INC.
IOLTA ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING
STATE BAR CENTER – CHARLESTON
The meeting of the Bar Foundation’s IOLTA Advisory Committee was called to order by Chairperson Elliot Hicks on December 19, 2002 at the State Bar Center in Charleston.
Committee member Adrienne Worthy was present at the meeting. Participating by telephone conference call was Professor Chuck DiSalvo. State Bar Executive Director Tom Tinder was also in attendance. The first item on the Agenda was a review of the Minutes of the last Committee Meeting which was held on November 21, 2002. A motion was duly made, seconded and passed that the Minutes be approved as presented.
Chairperson Hicks asked for a report on the status of the IOLTA litigation in federal court. Statements were made that oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court had been held on December 9. Based upon the comments made by the Justices, there seemed to be a favorable opinion concerning the continuation of the IOLTA Program. There will be a decision before the Court’s term ends in June.
The next item on the Agenda related to federal government funding. There was no change in the status of the current funding for legal services programs.
Ms. Worthy then gave a report concerning the activities of Legal Aid of West Virginia. She said that a fundraising campaign was moving forward. With a goal of $1.2 million to be raised in the next three years, there had already been approximately $300,000 of that amount raised.
Professor DiSalvo gave a report on behalf of the special grantees. He said that the tax credit program has been very successful. He also stated that the Appalachian Center at the WVU College of Law was experiencing some difficulties because of a reduction in state government funding.
Chairperson Hicks then led a discussion concerning the financial report. An amount of $326,000 had been raised for the fiscal year which began on July 1 as of December 17, 2002. It was also reported that an amount of $123,000 is available for distribution with $85,000 of that amount having been set aside in a Rainy Day Fund.
After extensive discussion, a motion was duly made, seconded and passed to distribution the amount of $68,000 in the following manner – $10,200 (15%) to the Special Grantees with the remaining amount of $57,800 be distributed to Legal Aid of West Virginia in the amount of $43,350 (75%) and Mountain State Justice in the amount of $14,450 (25%). The remaining amount of money left in the Rainy Day Fund would then be $55,000.
Chairperson Hicks announced that the next meeting of the Committee would be on April 24, 2003 at 11:00 a.m. at the State Bar Center in Charleston.
There being no further business to transact, the meeting was adjourned.