The City Bar Justice Center is very excited to be starting a new Cy Pres Initiative. The cy pres doctrine (from French meaning "as near as possible") is a court approved method of distributing a damage fund when the original purpose cannot be achieved. In class action lawsuits, a fund is created if there is to be a payment of damages to class members. After class members' claims are paid, there is often an amount remaining. Under the doctrine of cy pres, judges and class counsel can recommend that residual funds be distributed to the "next best use." In almost any class action litigation, civil legal services programs may be appropriate recipients of such funds.

The Justice Center is working with Citizens Bank to form a cy pres committee, inviting attorneys from class action firms in the City to join. On March 22, the Justice Center will be offering a free CLE on cy pres and class action settlements at the New York City Bar followed by a reception. Attorneys interested in attending the CLE should register with Ben Chan at bchan@nycbar.org.