Foundation Funds

Eunice Cutter Cox Memorial Fund

The Eunice Cutter Cox Memorial Fund provides support to female members of the bar and their families who are in need. It is intended to relieve and aid women who may be ill, incapacitated, or elderly or dependents of deceased female members who may need assistance. The fund was set up in 1972 by Sophia Cox in honor of her daughter, Eunice Cutter Cox, an outstanding lawyer who died in 1967.

Application 

 
Henry C. McDougal Northwest Missouri Legal Scholarship Fund 

In 1992, the Missouri Bar Foundation received $100,000 from the estate of Ms. Helen Roosevelt to establish a legal scholarship fund in the name of Ms. Roosevelt's grandfather, Henry C. McDougal. McDougal was from northwest Missouri and president of The Missouri Bar in 1894.

This fund is used to provide scholarships to students attending one of Missouri's accredited law schools. Recipients must be a resident of northwest Missouri, from one of the following counties: Atchison, Nodaway, Holt, Worth, Gentry, Andrew, Dekalb, Clinton, Clay, Buchanan, Platte, Jackson, Lafayette, Ray, Caldwell, Daviess, Harrison, Mercer, Grundy, Livingston, or Carroll.

The Trustees of the Missouri Bar Foundation base their decisions for funding primarily on a student’s academic scholarship and financial need. Applications for the McDougal Fund may be submitted at any time; however, the Trustees of the Missouri Bar Foundation normally select recipients annually in June and, accordingly, applications should be submitted prior to May 22 each year in order to be considered during the meeting specifically scheduled for this purpose. 

Application


The Keith A. Birkes Fund for Justice Education 

Keith A. Birkes served as Executive Director of The Missouri Bar for 27 years before retiring in 2012. In honor of his dedication to The Missouri Bar, he and The Missouri Bar Foundation founded the Keith A. Birkes Fund for Justice Education to support efforts by Missouri lawyers to educate citizens about the justice system. Funding is provided for efforts promoting appreciation and understanding of the following:

  • Missouri’s justice system
  • The United States Constitution
  • The Missouri Constitution
  • Missouri’s court system
  • Missouri ‘s judicial selection process/ Nonpartisan Court Plan

The Missouri Bar’s Citizenship Education Department serves teachers who have educated thousands of students about the role of our courts and the importance of a fair and impartial judiciary. At the heart of a successful judicial system are informed citizens who understand the role of the judges who impartially serve in our courts, the lawyers who dutifully advocate for their clients, and the citizen jurors who carefully consider the decisions of guilt or innocence, right or wrong. 

This fund supports programs and projects ensuring that citizens of all ages and backgrounds understand the judicial branch and the vital role it plays in our democracy.