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The Atticus Finch Society

“Justice, sir, is the great interest of man on this earth. It is the ligament which holds civilized beings and civilized nations together.”
- Daniel Webster
September 12, 1845

Honor, Duty & Action

Recognizing that lawyers make their living from the legal system, the Alabama Law Foundation provides ways for them to give something back. Its endowment secures the future of the Alabama Law Foundation’s work to make access to justice a reality for all Alabama citizens. The Atticus Finch Society recognizes the need, and acknowledges those whose courage, honor and sense of duty compels them to act.

“In the name of God, do your duty.”
- Atticus Finch
To Kill a Mockingbird
(Harper Lee)

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
- Mahatma Gandhi

The Membership

Atticus Finch’s stirring words ring true and deep, and make Atticus Finch the personification of the exemplary lawyer. In serving the legal needs of the poor and those no one else would represent, Atticus Finch epitomizes the type of professional, and person, lawyers strive to be. As the personification of equal justice in Alabama, Atticus Finch stands side by side with the universal icon of The Lady of Justice. Blindfolded, she carries the scales of justice in one hand and a sword in the other. She symbolizes the fair and equal administration of the law, without corruption, avarice, prejudice, or favor. The Atticus Finch Society lays a permanent cornerstone for the Alabama Law Foundation and the charter members of the Atticus Finch Society stand as the pillars. The immediate opportunity is to become a charter member of the Atticus Finch Society.

“. . .in this country our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal. I’m no idealist to believe firmly in the integrity of our courts and of our jury system. That’s no ideal to me. That is a living, working reality.”
- Atticus Finch
To Kill a Mockingbird
(Harper Lee)

“Justice is justly represented blind, because she sees no difference in the parties concerned. She has but one scale and weight, for rich and poor, great and small.”
- William Penn

The Mission

Lawyers provide society with a valuable service by devoting their lives to the study and practice of law. Lawyers also serve the cause of justice through the Alabama Law Foundation. The Alabama Law Foundation is a charitable, tax-exempt organization affiliated with the Alabama State Bar. The foundation provides justice for the poor through programs funded mainly by the Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) Program. A stable source of income is essential to the foundation’s work and the programs it supports. The current endowment contributes to that income stability by reducing financial dependency on the varying interest rates of IOLTA funds. For example, each million dollars of endowment can provide $50,000 a year, inflation adjusted on a perpetual basis. The Atticus Finch Society’s initial goal is to build the endowment for the Alabama Law Foundation through a $10,000 commitment from each Atticus Finch Society charter member, payable over three years.

“Justice is truth in action.”
- Benjamin Disraeli
February 11, 1851

The Accomplishments

The Alabama Law Foundation works to provide access to justice to low-income citizens. Founded in 1987, it has awarded over $12 million in grants, over $7.5 million of that to help provide legal aid to the poor. The Alabama Law Foundation contributed start-up funding for Volunteer Lawyer Programs in Mobile, Birmingham and at the Alabama State Bar that gives private lawyers a vehicle for providing volunteer free legal services for those in need. The Alabama Law Foundation helped lead the way in the transition of our legal services programs from three organizations to one in order to increase efficiency and to create one statewide legal aid provider to the poor. The Alabama Law Foundation continues to work to assure high quality access to the civil justice system to all residents of Alabama.

The Challenge

Only 20% of the civil legal needs of low income Americans are being met. Alabama ranks 51st - below even Puerto Rico - in spending for legal aid (from all sources) to the poor. Studies show that spending currently stands at less than $10 per person compared to a national average of $23 per person. The “justice gap” is easily seen in census figures for 2001. For example, Alabama’s poverty population was 698,097. Legal needs were estimated at approximately 160,000 cases per year -16,000 cases were closed. The justice gap between number of legal needs met and unmet was approximately 140,000 cases. Of course, none of these figures takes into account the increased need brought on by Hurricane Katrina.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
- Martin Luther King
April 16, 1963

Download a Pledge (PDF 256K)

For more information, contact Tracy Daniel at (334) 269-1515.