The Foundation Docket
August 2011

Michele Kane Cummings becomes Florida Bar Foundation president

Fort Lauderdale attorney Michele Kane Cummings took office July 1 as president of The Florida Bar Foundation, a statewide charitable organization that works on behalf of Florida’s legal profession to expand access to justice.

“This year will be critical to the future of legal aid in Florida, and we will have to be more innovative and dedicated than ever in order to continue to help our grantees meet their clients’ needs,” said Foundation President Michele Kane Cummings. “We know that we can count on those in the legal community who understand the importance of civil legal representation for the state’s most vulnerable populations.”
 
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Florida Innocence Commission submits interim report

The Florida Innocence Commission, established by an administrative order of Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles T. Canady in July 2010, has submitted an interim report detailing its progress in examining the causes of wrongful convictions in Florida and the best practices for preventing them.

The Florida Bar Foundation provided partial funding for the commission through a $114,862 Improvements in the Administration of Justice grant.

Since its first meeting in September 2010, the 23-member commission has identified five leading causes for wrongful convictions as witness misidentification, false confessions, informant testimony, invalid scientific evidence and professional responsibility, according to the commission’s 34-page report.

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35th Annual Reception & Dinner

See some of the people who came to celebrate 2011 Medal of Honor recipients Bruce B. Blackwell and Katie Self at the Foundation’s 35th Annual Reception & Dinner.

Foundation officers and directors take office

To read more about them click on their names.  

"Speaking of Justice" now online only

For the past two years, the Foundation has graced your mailboxes with the latest news about our work, and the work of our grantees, through its quarterly print newsletter Speaking of Justice. To preserve revenue for grants, Speaking of Justice has gone to electronic-only publishing and will now hit your e-mail inboxes instead. For those who prefer reading on paper rather than on a screen, it is still available online in a printable PDF format. Not only is electronic distribution more economical and environmentally friendly, but it is also supported by the results of a September 2010 Foundation survey in which only 27 percent of donors expressed a preference for print. Speaking of Justice will continue to bring you the same in-depth stories about the efforts of the Foundation and its grantees to provide greater access to justice. For all Foundation news, including current and archived issues of Speaking of Justice, visit the Foundation's newsroom.

Our Mission

The mission of The Florida Bar Foundation, a charitable organization established in 1956 by Florida lawyers and the Florida Supreme Court, is to provide greater access to justice.