News
Release
December
17, 2012
Contact:
Paul H. Wieck II, Office of Professional Regulation
(515)
725-8029
IOLTA
Grant Applications Due March 8, 2013
Des
Moines, December 17, 2012—The
Iowa Supreme Court Lawyer Trust Account Commission is accepting applications
for grants under the Interest on Lawyer Trust Account (IOLTA) program for the
grant period that begins July 1, 2013. IOLTA program grants are awarded to
public purpose projects that provide legal services to low-income persons in
civil cases, law-related education, and other programs that improve the
administration of justice in Iowa.
Under
recently adopted changes in chapter 44 of the Iowa Court Rules, applicants now
must file one copy of their application in paper form and one copy in electronic
form. Organizations may obtain a copy of the revised rules and grant
application forms (paper and electronic) by contacting the Lawyer Trust Account
Commission, Judicial Branch Building, 1111 East Court Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa
50319; by calling (515) 725-8029; or by electronic mail to
iolta@iowacourts.gov. Application forms also may be downloaded from the
Commission's web page on the Iowa Judicial Branch web site at:
http://www.iowacourts.gov/Professional_Regulation/Attorney_RegulationCommissions/IOLTA
The
Commission must receive completed grant applications no later than 4:30 p.m.,
Friday, March 8, 2013. The Commission will then review the applications and
seek approval from the Iowa Supreme Court for awarding the grants. Grant
recipients will be announced in late May or early June of 2013.
The
Iowa Supreme Court created the Commission to provide legal services to
low-income persons in civil cases using the interest from lawyers' pooled trust
accounts. The lawyers' pooled trust accounts hold clients' funds that are so
small in amount or held for such a brief period that it is not possible for
interest on the funds to financially benefit the individual clients.
Previously, attorneys' trust accounts earned no interest. The first grants
awarded under the IOLTA program were made in June, 1986. To date, the
Commission has awarded more than $23,203,000 in grants.
# # #
2012
Iowa Supreme Court
1111 East Court Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-281-3952
