Contact: Rosanne M. Van Heertum
Director of Development, The New YorkBar Foundation
rvanh@tnybf.org
518/487-5650

February 18, 2009

NEW YORK BAR FOUNDATION RECEIVES $10,000 GIFT TO ESTABLISH ELDER LAW SECTION SCHOLARSHIP

Scholarship available to students participating in New York law school Elder Law Clinics

ALBANY – The Elder Law Section of the New York State Bar Association has contributed a gift of $10,000 to The New York Bar Foundation to establish scholarships for law students. Between 2009 and 2012, a $2,500 scholarship will be awarded each year to a second- or third-year student who is enrolled in a law school in the State of New York and is actively participating in an elder law clinic at the school.

Through the scholarship, the Elder Law Section aspires to advance opportunities for students who are disabled by implementing a preference for awarding the scholarship to a student who demonstrates a present and permanent physical or mental disability that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of the individual. A preference also will be given to a student who demonstrates financial need. 
 
Timothy E. Casserly (Burke & Casserly, P.C., Albany), chair of the section said, “The Elder Law Section is pleased to make this contribution to The New York Bar Foundation to establish a scholarship in its name. The section considers it imperative that practicing elder law attorneys continue to bring the legal issues facing the elderly to the forefront, while at the same time encouraging students to pursue a career in the practice of elder law.”

The Elder Law Section encourages law students, through an elder law clinic experience, to learn about important legislative developments, regulations, and case laws impacting the elderly and to provide representation to elderly clients struggling with a variety of legal issues and problems related to aging and incapacity. The ultimate goal of the scholarship is to create a network and cultivate relationships among lawyers practicing elder law and law students planning to practice elder law and to encourage the practice of elder law among lawyers throughout the State of New York.

John R. Horan, president of The New York Bar Foundation said, “We are gratified to accept this four-year scholarship commitment from the Elder Law Section. This gift demonstrates the on-going collaborative efforts between The Foundation and the New York State Bar Association as we continue to serve New York's legal profession, the justice system and the community.”

The 2009 scholarship, valued at $2,500, will be awarded to one student enrolled on a full-time or part-time basis in the 2009 fall semester in a law school in the State of New York. The scholarship will be applied to the student’s 2009-2010 academic year tuition with payment expected in January 2010. The scholarship recipient will be invited to be a guest member of the Elder Law Section of the New York State Bar Association and to attend meetings of the section’s executive committee during 2010.

A completed application form and supporting documentation must be submitted to The New York Bar Foundation by October 15, 2009 to apply for this year’s scholarship. Please go to www.tnybf.org for additional information about the scholarship and to access the application form.

Founded in 1950, The New York Bar Foundation is dedicated to aiding educational, direct legal services, and charitable projects aimed at meeting the law-related needs of the public and the legal profession. The Foundation solicits charitable contributions and provides funding for the following purposes: increasing public understanding of the law; improving the justice system and the law; facilitating the delivery of legal services; and enhancing professional competence and ethics. For more information about The New York Bar Foundation, go to www.tnybf.org, call 518/487-5651 or send e-mail to foundation@tnybf.org.

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