Legal aid lawyers and clients stand to gain from a recent $50,000 grant to Legal Aid University from the American College of Trial Lawyers. Legal Aid University, which provides continuing education for legal aid attorneys, will use the grant to improve its online Affirmative Litigation Training by adding videos and relevant content. The grant was awarded on July 26, 2006 as part of a program that honors initiatives that maintain or improve the administration of justice. It recognizes Legal Aid University's important role in assisting in the continued training of lawyers working at legal aid organizations, which often have limited budgets to pay for training and travel.

Legal Aid University, which spun off from the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute this year, is looking to grow in strength as a national organization. Currently, it conducts classes in Massachusetts and Seattle, but it is hoping to open a satellite facility in Mississippi. Legal Aid University classes cover topics ranging from witness examination and closing arguments to document drafting. More information is available at: http://www.legalaiduniversity.org.

Source: Legal Aid University Receives $50K Grant Through Online Training, Boston Business Journal, July 27, 2006; also based on original reporting by Brennan Center staff. See also Legal Services E-lerts of Oct. 21, 2005 and May 26, 2006.