Vermont Bar Association asks Judiciary committee to recommend $525,000 Barr Foundation grant for local legal services

Bob Paolini, executive director of the Vermont Bar Association, asked the Judiciary committee to recommend that the Appropriations Committee award a $525,000 grant to the Barr Foundation to support local legal‑service providers.

Paolini told the committee the proposal would provide $500,000 for grants distributed by the foundation and a 5% administrative fee to the foundation. He said the grant is aimed at smaller organizations and regions that are not fully served by larger statewide providers.

Why it matters: Paolini told members the state has “legal deserts” — geographic areas with too few lawyers for civil matters — and that small agencies and specialty providers are often unable to secure sustained funding. He said the Barr Foundation has an established grants committee and local knowledge that could target funds where they are needed.

Paolini summarized the foundation’s recent small awards and said the program would not supplant legal aid’s regular budget requests to the Legislature; instead, it would be intended to fill gaps not covered by larger providers. He noted the coalition that proposed the grant includes a mix of organizations and that the foundation’s grants historically have ranged from a few thousand dollars to larger targeted awards.

Paolini said the coalition previously sought the same approach last year; the House Appropriations Committee did not move the request across the hall then, and he said the group testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee this year with a more receptive reception.

Ending: Paolini told the committee he was not asking on behalf of the Bar Association for direct funding but was representing a coalition that aims to coordinate smaller providers and channel grants to unmet local needs. The committee indicated it would consider recommending the request to appropriations.