MVA Litigation

   Justice Initiatives, Inc. continues to raise the bar in its efforts to support and advocate for our court system. For six years, Justice Initiatives, Inc. has hosted the illustrious “Evening at the Courthouse” fundraising event, which has a guest list that reads like a “Who’s Who” of North Carolina federal and state judges, state and local elected representatives, and members of the Mecklenburg County Bar and Community. The event is hosted free of charge to guests, with a request for donations to support the organization. At this year’s event on May 8th, I was among those dining and listening to the notes of the Jackrabbit Blues Band and then the keynote address delivered by former president of the American Bar Association, Martha Barnett. Click here to view details regarding the event, its sponsors, and noteworthy raffle and silent auction. It was an evening to remember, raising thousands of dollars to advance the purposes of Justice Initiatives, which will benefit all of us in this 26th Judicial District of North Carolina – Mecklenburg County.

   The “Evening at the Courthouse” is one of many endeavors that Justice Initiatives has undertaken in order to move forward its goals to “advance reforms related to the Judicial Branch's organization, structure and/or administration” and to “educate and advocate regarding the needs of court system offices and programs within the 26th Judicial District, NC.” What does it look like to move forward towards accomplishing these goals? Justice Initiatives provides grant funding through a competitive process to support a wide array of projects that address needs within the 26th Judicial District, and it also serves as a funding “pass-through” administrator to administer funds from governmental and other agencies in accordance with its mission and the purposes of the grantor agency. Justice Initiatives supports projects like Court Camp in which judges, lawyers, law enforcement office and others working in the North Carolina judicial system educate high school aged students about the system, and the I-CAN!^TM Legal online application system which allows individuals to complete court forms by answering simple questions for a low cost. There are more projects and grant recipients than I can note in this short blog post. So, please do read more about Justice Initiatives' projects and grant recipients. You can even find Justice Initiatives on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/people/Justice-Initiatives/100000051454709) and follow it on Twitter (@JI_Organization).

   Each year, Justice Initiatives presents the “Raising the Bar Award” to an employee who has made a significant and notable contribution to the advancement of the Mecklenburg County court system. Let us all raise a glass (filled with whatever you’d like) to Justice Initiatives for its efforts in raising the bar!