Supporters Like You
Read about supporters who continue to raise the bar on legal equity in Louisiana.
Judge Suzanne M. de Mahy
I became a Fellow to the Louisiana Bar Foundation when I first started practicing law soon after graduating from law school.
Read more of Her story
After a few years of being a fellow, I got involved on one our community partnership panels. My involvement with the local community partnership panel opened my eyes to the vast disparity in areas where parties have difficulty finding legal assistance. There are many things that the Louisiana Bar Foundation provides for our community, one of the most important is assisting partners with providing legal services and access to justice throughout our community.
Message from Past President Chris Ralston
Former LBF President Chris Ralston shares his reasons for giving to the organization and encourages others to support their mission of providing civil legal aid in Louisiana.
Read his entire message
Why do I give?
When I tell people I’m the President of the Louisiana Bar Foundation, I get two follow up questions. The first is usually: what is the Louisiana Bar Foundation? This is the easier one. The Louisiana Bar Foundation is the state’s largest funder of civil legal aid. We partner with a trusted network of more than 70 organizations that lead community driven efforts to help families facing non-criminal, civil legal challenges. Our goal is to make sure that all Louisianans, regardless of their background, zip code, or income level, have access to civil legal services that they need.
After hearing about our impressive impact, for me, it logically follows to support the LBF. My dedication to this cause comes from a firm belief in the need for a fair and equal justice system, regardless of income or status. I believe in the power of the legal profession to help those who might otherwise be abandoned by the system. I understand that not everyone comes to that decision so easily.
Without fail, the second question always includes the “why”. Why do I give? Why should anyone care? Why LBF over any other organization? Especially during the season of giving, we’re approached by many deserving causes and organizations. The truth of the matter is our civil justice system is in crisis. As a high poverty state with a lack of resources, Louisiana has a pressing need for increased investments in civil legal aid. Now is the time to expand our investments and establish a robust civil justice system we can all be proud of.
I believe in the LBF as a community stakeholder. For more than 30 years, LBF has been a trusted authority on civil legal aid funding. Our decades of experience as a responsible steward of funds, along with our well-established partnerships, has allowed us to help hundreds of thousands of Louisiana residents gain access to the legal system.
I ask that you all consider getting involved with the work of the Louisiana Bar Foundation by making your gift today! There are plenty of ways to give, but one easy option is to choose the Louisiana Bar Foundation as your preferred organization through Amazon Smile. A portion of every purchase is dedicated directly to our organization when using Amazon Smile! You may also make your gift online at www.raisingthebar.org/YearEnd or mail directly to the LBF at 1615 Poydras Street, Ste. 1000, New Orleans, LA 70112. If you have any questions, please contact our Grants & Gifts Associate Haley Mack at Haley@raisingthebar.org.
So, why do I give? I give because I want to ensure all Louisianans have equal access to the justice system. I give because I trust the Louisiana Bar Foundation as an integral part of the civil legal aid community. I give because I believe our community and our state are better and stronger when people have hope and opportunity rather than despair and futility. I give because together we can meet the legal needs of our state’s most vulnerable people. Please consider giving to the Louisiana Bar Foundation today.
Mary Cupp
[Civil service] is part of why I got involved with the Louisiana Bar Foundation in the first place. I thought it looked like a worthy cause, and I wasn’t in Louisiana where I could do Pro-Bono work, and working for the federal government, particularly for the treasury agency that I did, made it very difficult to do any criminal work and such because of potential conflicts.
Read more of Her story
The only option I had was to try to support these causes, as I do believe in making the legal practice available, including in civil cases, helping people better understand about the judicial and legal foundations. It was always important, and it’s still extremely important if not more so now… Being outside Louisiana and outside of the South, having lived in the South a long time, people don’t understand the South and tends to look down at it. There’s a lot of good in it, like folks at the Louisiana Bar Foundation, working at it. I’m proud of Louisiana, I’m proud of New Orleans, which is like my second hometown, and they have good things going for them. But you must support them, and you must work for them… I have confidence in the Louisiana Bar Foundation.
“I give because I want to ensure all Louisianans have equal access to the justice system. I give because I trust the Louisiana Bar Foundation as an integral part of the civil legal aid community. I give because I believe our community and our state are better and stronger when people have hope and opportunity rather than despair and futility. I give because together we can meet the legal needs of our state’s most vulnerable people.”
— Chris Ralston, Past President
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