With generous support from ABE insured lawyer members, ABE’s annual grants support vital law-related public service, educational, and research programs and projects at national and local levels. These projects and programs advance access to justice, improve the justice system, and increase the public’s understanding of legal rights and responsibilities.

In recent years, widespread challenges arose that heightened access to justice issues for numerous vulnerable Americans. Legal service provider organizations nationwide devoted immense efforts to tackling emerging obstacles in delivering essential services to underserved populations. The American Bar Endowment (ABE), an independent, non-profit public charity, has consistently awarded grants for over six decades to bolster initiatives aimed at aiding these communities in navigating their legal needs.

The ABE is proud of having a long history of providing funding support to efforts across the country that address urgent legal issues affecting underserved communities and to help people understand their legal needs and access the justice system to solve them. ABE grants support the research projects that enhance understanding of the law and its impact on society and the many FJE public service initiatives that, for example, help ensure the legal rights of individuals by training lawyers in specialty areas of law such as child welfare, immigration, domestic violence, and veterans’ benefits.

For the eighth year of the program, the ABE awarded thirteen Opportunity Grants totaling $300,000 for new, innovative projects across the country that focus on enhancing access to legal assistance and providing new tools and resources in underserved communities. With the financial support of ABE’s insureds, this year we were able to support a diverse array of projects that addressed critical needs by:

  • Providing resources and support to incarcerated individuals
  • Investing in online portals and repositories that are used to train and educate legal advocates
  • Supporting asylum seekers and other detained migrants
  • Redesigning court communication methodology
  • Helping people understand their legal needs and connecting them to lawyers and self-help resources.

The 2024 ABE Opportunity Grant Recipients are:

For more information on the ABE and its grant-supported programs, visit www.abendowment.org or contact
Izzy Eisen at [email protected] or 312-988-6402.

About the American Bar Endowment (ABE)

Established in 1942, the American Bar Endowment (ABE) is an independent, not-for-profit public charity. The ABE provides ABA lawyer members with a unique way to protect themselves, their families, and their professional endeavors through participation in a range of ABE-sponsored group insurance plans underwritten by New York Life. With the option to seamlessly give any available annual dividends they would otherwise receive to the ABE as a tax-deductible donation, insureds help achieve the ABE mission. With their support, the ABE makes grants that support critical law-related public service, educational, and research programs and projects. At its core, the ABE is a charitable organization powered by generations of lawyers committed to ensuring equal access to justice for all.