The Board of Trustees of the Allegheny County Bar Fooundation recently authorized grants, totaling $23,650 to support pro bono programs and projects that promote the public understanding of the law to the following agencies. These funds will be distributed in early 2011.

• Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Pittsburgh - To support the cost of Legal Services for Immigrants & Internationals (LSII) that will provide training, professional supervision, oversight, and mentorship to attorneys helping immigrants to apply for green cards.
   
• KidsVoice - To support the cost of Fostering School Success which will help approximately 600 children in foster or group home care to remain in their home school districts or, if transferring schools is necessary, to be enrolled in an appropriate educational program.
   
• Mental Health American Legal Services - To ensure that people with mental illness receive legal assistance in a timely and understanding manner thereby ensuring them the best opportunity to achieve positive resolutions to their legal problems.
   
• Neighborhood Legal Services Association - To support the cost of creating a pro se portal on NLSA's website and organizing "Pennsylvania I-CAN" tax sessions in NLSA's Pittsburgh office.
   
• Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force - To support the cost of the Pro Bono Legal Assistance Program which 1) ensures that clients receive necessary legal advice & assistance in a timely manner, 2) ensures that all clients, regardless of legal issue, have an attorney with expertise in that area to advise or represent them, and 3) to further the education of those in the legal profession about legal issues related to HIV/AIDS.
   
• Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh - To support the Civil Legal Project in providing representation and advice to 10 individuals on civil legal matters in divorce cases involving domestic violence.