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Our Justice for All Partners

We’re grateful to these individuals who support equal access to justice:

Robert Alsobrook • Katherine Anderson • Cory & Jordan Bates-Rogers • Stefanie Blahut • R. Aaron Brooks • Jordan Camp • Lisa C. Childs • Brian Clary • Judge Cathleen V. Compton • Jon Comstock • John & Claudia Courtway • Rita Cunningham • Jim & Suzie Dunn • Hugh Finkelstein • Lynn Frost • Stephen Giles • Joshua Gillispie • Lori Howard • Judge Amy Dunn Johnson • Colin Jorgensen • David Kamps • Rebecca Kane • Deepali Lal • Kendall Lewellen • David R. Matthews • Andrew Nadzam • Carol Nokes • Chad & Tiffany Oldham • Kelly Olson • Kristin Pawlik • Kathryn Platt • Lee Richardson • Chad Rodgers • Hillis Schild • Victoria Smith • Katherine Stephens • Robert & Mary Tellez • Justice Annabelle Imber Tuck • Judge Diane Warren

Cy Pres Awards

Cy pres awards are funds in class action cases that, for various reasons, cannot be distributed to class members or beneficiaries who were the intended recipients. Under the cy pres doctrine, courts can allocate these residual funds to appropriate charitable causes. This ensures that residual funds are used in a way that benefits the interests of class members and serves the broader public good.

How Cy Pres Makes a Difference

Across the country, cy pres awards, ranging from thousands to millions of dollars, have been used to fund vital civil legal services. These funds can address specific areas in which legal aid works, such as:

Cy pres awards made to support legal aid can also be tailored to serve a specific geographic area, ensuring that the funds directly benefit communities in need.

In addition to funding special projects, cy pres awards can cover operational costs for legal aid organizations. This allows them to provide desperately needed basic civil legal services. In Arkansas, where more than 17,000 eligible Arkansans rely on a single legal aid attorney, the need for additional funding is critical. Cy pres awards provide an opportunity for the legal community to uphold its responsibility to ensure meaningful access to justice for all Arkansans.

Direct Your Award to Arkansas

If you are involved in a class action case and are unable to distribute all the funds, consider designating the Arkansas Access to Justice Foundation as a cy pres recipient.

When cy pres awards are directed to the Foundation, you can rest assured that:

• The funds will be used in alignment with the intent of the award.
• Arkansans in need will gain access to free civil legal assistance that provides safety, shelter, and peace of mind.

Contact Us About Cy Pres

For more information on how to designate the Arkansas Access to Justice Foundation as a recipient of cy pres funds, including sample settlement or order language, please contact us. Together, we can make a significant difference in the lives of Arkansans in need.

Access to Justice Month

October is Access to Justice Month in Arkansas. During October, we work with partner organizations to draw attention to the justice gap and ways that we can fulfill the promise of justice for all. At the beginning of the month, we host an Access to Justice Month Kickoff party where we recognize individuals and organizations who have provided outstanding levels of pro bono service. Proceeds from this event benefit the Arkansas Justice Fund, which is our endowment designated to provide perpetual support for Arkansas’s legal aid providers.

View past honorees
Sponsor our annual kickoff event

“We have the best judicial system in the world. But if a person cannot walk through those courtroom doors because of their economic status or race, then having the best judicial system means absolutely nothing.”

Honorable Jim Hannah
Former Chief Justice, Arkansas Supreme Court
(2004-2015)

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