The Missouri Bar Foundation

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Mission

The Missouri Bar Foundation is a charitable, nonprofit partner to The Missouri Bar that supports bar members and their families and furthers the law-related education of members and citizens in the state. The foundation’s efforts improve and preserve the administration of justice in Missouri. The foundation is made possible through generous donations.

To advance the administration of justice, elevate the legal profession, foster public appreciation of the rule of law, and further our constitutional form of government through law-related community projects, scholarships, jurisprudential research, and recognition of exemplary legal and public service. The foundation achieves this by:

  • Advancing the science, education, and research of jurisprudence in Missouri by providing scholarships and grants to those deserving in the field of law education, especially Missouri law students.
  • Relieving, aiding, and assisting deserving Missouri Bar members who may be ill, incapacitated, or otherwise in need of aid, or the dependents of deceased members who may be in need of aid.
  • Promoting the efficiency of judicial proceedings and decisions while working to elevate judicial standards.
 
  • Preserving the American constitutional form of government by maintaining libraries; acquiring, preserving, and exhibiting rare books and documents; and showcasing art and items of historical and legal significance.
  • Acting as trustee of any funds or property given to The Missouri Bar Foundation by holding and managing those gifts under the terms and conditions they were given.
 

How your support helps Missourians in need

Through tax-deductible contributions, The Missouri Bar Foundation supports and expands law-related educational and charitable programs throughout the state. Examples include:

  • Printing the Senior Citizens Handbook, a guide to aid senior citizens in understanding their legal rights and responsibilities.
  • Funding an annual Missouri Bar law-related educational conference for social studies teachers to help them discover new ways to teach students about the law and justice system.
  • Providing funds for the legal services offices serving indigent and low-income Missourians.
  • Assisting female members of the bar or their dependents who are in need via the Eunice Cutter Cox Memorial Fund.
  • Funding programs by the Missouri Lawyers’ Assistance Program designed to help Missouri Bar members affected by drug or alcohol dependency.
  • Giving scholarships to deserving law students from Northwest Missouri through the Henry C. McDougal Scholarship Fund.

Mid-Missouri Legal Services (MMLS) used the grant funding provided by The Missouri Bar Foundation to aid in the representation of domestic violence victims in its service area. MMLS provided representation in court cases involving final orders of protection or divorces. Your Missouri Bar Foundation donations helped victims of domestic violence in six counties of the 11-county area serviced by MMLS. Because so few lawyers practice in rural areas, the services provided by MMLS are critical. MMLS was successful in all its cases funded by the foundation’s grant. Here are a few examples of cases MMLS may have handled:

  • A mother of three was granted a full order of protection after her spouse struck her and choked one of their children.
  • A full order of protection was granted to a victim after her boyfriend kidnapped her, held her against her will, and threatened to kill her.
  • A woman was granted a divorce from a meth-addicted spouse who threatened to kill her.
  • A woman was granted a divorce and full order of protection from her former spouse who brandished a knife and threatened suicide in front of their children.

These and other testimonials demonstrate the importance of what you do through The Missouri Bar Foundation. You make a positive difference in the lives of Missourians through your donations to The Missouri Bar Foundation.