Pub. 3 2014 Issue 1

l e a d i n g a d v o c a t e f o r t h e b a n k i n g i n d u s t r y i n k a n s a s 24 D ID YOU KNOW THAT KANSAS BANKERS play an important role in helping a battered woman get protective court orders to shield herself and her children from a violent partner? Banks have helped to provide trained court volunteers to represent children who have been abused or neglected. Banks have also helped Kansas high school students learn the law by acting like lawyers in courts. All this happens because of a partnership between the KBA and the KBF – the Kansas Bankers Association and the Kansas Bar Foundation. This partnership, known as the Interest on Lawyers Trust Account (IOLTA) program, began in 1984 when the Kansas Supreme Court established IOLTA. IOLTA is a unique and innovative way to increase access to justice for those living in poverty and to improve our justice system without taxing the public, at no cost to lawyers or their clients, all through the community service of attorneys and bankers. The Supreme Court IOLTA rule makes it possible to harness the accumulated interest in lawyer trust accounts for charitable purposes. In Kansas, the funds collected by the IOLTA Program are distributed by the Kansas Bar Foundation. Banks offer IOLTA accounts to participating lawyers, track the interest on those trust accounts, and remit that interest to the IOLTA program which is administered by the KBF. Historically, the Kansas Bar Foundation has awarded 80% of the IOLTA funds to the provisions of civil legal services to low-income citizens. The other 20% helps administer the program and guard against inflation. In 2014, six organizations will receive IOLTA grants totaling $72,000. They are: • Kansas Legal Services, Inc. • CASA of Kansas • National Institute for Trial Advocacy (for training in rural Kansas) • KBAYLS High School Mock Trial Program • YWCA Crisis Center-Wichita • Western Professionals/Immigration Professionals In Kansas, approximately 4,000 attorneys voluntarily participate in the IOLTA program across 137 Kansas banks. The participating banks remit an average interest rate of .0339%. The majority of the banks do not charge handling or maintenance fees. The legal community is well aware of the key role that banks play as community partners in the program and seek out banks that participate. And, a KBA representative participates in the grant review process to help determine which organizations will receive funding each year. The KBF and its members wish to thank the members of the KBA for their involvement in the IOLTA Program. It is through this partnership that many deserving Kansans are receiving services that enable equal access to justice. But there is so much more to do! In 2014, the Kansas IOLTA Program will celebrate its 30th anniversary. If you would like additional information about the IOLTA Program, please contact Anne Woods at the Kansas Bar Foundation at 785-234-5696 or visit www.ksbar.org or the national program site at www.iolta.org. Enroll in IOLTA today! Visit http://www.ksbar.org/iolta BANKERS AND LAWYERS HELP THE NEEDY THROUGH THE IOLTA PROGRAM LET’S CELEBRATE 30 YEARS OF WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN! "There are more children to serve, and CASA is poised to meet this need by providing volunteers who will be the voices for these children. Our ability to achieve this growth, however, is dependent on our ability to increase the number of trained volunteers in our state and provide the proper amount of supervision of these volunteers. IOLTA funds provide local programs additional resources to maintain staff positions that recruit, screen, train, and supervise CASA volunteers so that they may serve child in need of care cases.” - Janette Meis, State Director, Kansas CASA- IOLTA Grant Recipient