SJ 239 — Commending the Virginia Law Foundation.

SESSION INTRODUCEDENROLLED 24108705D I SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO.

239 NE OfferedN March 4, 2024 Commending the Virginia Law Foundation.

––––––––––Agreed Tto Patron––McGuireby Rthe ––––––––––Senate, WHEREAS,March the6, Virginia2024 LawR Foundation,Agreed anto initiativeby of the VirginiaHouse Stateof BarDelegates, dedicatedMarch to7, 2024 O L promoting, through philanthropy, the Rule of Law, access to justice, and law-related education,Deducation, celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024;

and L WHEREAS, the Virginia Law Foundation (VLF) was chartered by the State Corporation CommissionUCommission E headquarters building to serve law-related organizations in the Commonwealth;

and the constructConconstruction of a D WHEREAS, in 1981, the corporation's board voted to change the name of the corporation to theEthe Virginia Law Foundation, signaling a shift from a focus on building a bar headquarters to the broader agenda of supporting access to justice, law-related education, and Rule of Law projects;

and D WHEREAS, that same year, at the behest of the Virginia State Bar and the Virginia Bar Association (VBA), the VLF began supervising the operations of Virginia continuing legal education (CLE) totoation ensure the provision of the finest in CLE services to the Commonwealth's legal community;

and WHEREAS, from 1983 through 1995, the VLF served as the entity designated by the Supreme Court S of Virginia to administer the interest received from the Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts program and handled3 thishanWHEREAS, fiduciaryin responsibility1984, the VLF instituted its fellows program to recognize the top one percent of E lawyers in the Commonwealth who have demonstrated excellence in all endeavors associated with greatthe careR profession and effect;who have made outstanding contributions to their communities;

andto WHEREAS,date in 1984, the VLF institutedhas itsbestowed fellowsthis programhonor toon recognizeapproximately the775 top one percent of lawyers in the Commonwealth who havemeet demonstratedthe excellenceideals inof allcitizen endeavorslawyers; associated with tSe profession and who have made outstanding contributions to their communities;

toand datemillion thein VLFgrants ha3to bestowedmyriad thisprograms honorthat onsupport approximately 775 lawyers who meet the idealsVLF's ofmission; citizen lawyers;

andandhas 9 WHEREAS, through its robust grant program initiated in 1984, the VLF has awarded more than $28 milWHEREAS,WHEREAS, over the last decade, the VLF has financially supported several notable signature projects to leave a lasting impact on the Commonwealth, including the Nuremberg Trials Courtroom exhibit at the Virginia Holocaust Museum, the Supreme Court of Virginia's Judicial Learning Center, andandWHEREAS, thein Libraryaddition of Virginia's program to restoreproviding variousoutstanding originallegal governingeducation documentsthrough ofits Virginia;educational division;

and WHEREAS, in addition to providing outstanding legal education through its educational division Virginia CLE, the VLF supports other educational organizations and institutions, particularly those that provide educational programming in the areas of civics and constitutional history;

and 35 educational initiatives, including the Constitutional Law Institute, the Civil Rights Law Institute, and the 36 Wellness Institute, and has launched a prestigious professional recognition, the Qualified Counselor and 37 Qualified Master Counselor Designation Program, to assist the public in securing competent legal / 38 representation;

and 39 WHEREAS, over the past 50 years, the Virginia Law Foundation has been a constant clarion for justice and a force for good within the Commonwealth;

now, therefore, be ititconstant clarion for RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby comRESOLVEDcommend FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Virginia Law Foundation ason anthe expressionoccasion of theits General50th Assembly'sanniversary; admiration for the organization's contributions to the Commonwealth.

and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for the organization's contributions to the Commonwealth.ression of the General Assembly's admiration for