Free Money for Professionalism Projects - And Diversity and Ethics Projects, Too

The American Bar Association, and particularly immediate-past President Jerome Shestack, spent last year promoting professionalism among lawyers. Now the Law Student Division has made its own move. The Law Student Division's Board of Governors has approved the creation of the Professionalism, Ethics and Diversity Fund for a one-year trial period. If your school has been thinking about putting on a professionalism project but needs some seed money, "PED" may be for you. If your student bar association has been planning a diversity or ethics project and has everything but the funding in place, the PED Fund may be your answer.

The PED Fund is modeled after the division's successful Outreach Assistance Initiative (OAI). Law students and law schools may receive grants of up to $500 as seed money to help get their projects off the ground. But while OAI is available for all public service projects, including programs that have been tried before, the PED Fund is for first- time programs only.

There is a rolling approval process, and funds are limited. So even though the application deadline is May 1, 1999, Law Student Division Chair Bennett Miller encourages law students, student bar associations and other law school organizations to apply as early as possible or risk being shut out. One other caveat: Your project must be pre-approved. Applications are available by calling 312/988-5624.

Lee Farbman

Lee Farbman (l-farbman@nwu. edu), a third-year student at Northwestern University School of Law, is Student Lawyer's student editor.