The March edition of The Colorado Lawyer included a compelling article about the Associates Campaign and the important work of CLS’s Specialized Immigrant Services unit.
“The Legal Aid Foundation of Colorado kicks off its annual Associates Campaign for Justice on March 1. Now in its 13th year, the Associates Campaign is an important fundraising source for Colorado Legal Services (CLS), the only agency in Colorado that offers free civil legal services to underserved populations in every single county in Colorado. Nearly all CLS clients are living at or below 125% of the federal poverty guideline, which means an annual income ceiling of $14,850 for an individual and $30, 375 for a family of four.
The Associates Campaign is exactly what the name suggests – a fundraising campaign run by associates at law firms across at law firms across the state. It’s a chance for associates to take on leadership roles early in their careers, but more important, it is an opportunity for young attorneys to make a direct impact in the lives of people across the state with a monetary donation. The campaign includes a friendly competition among firms that recognize efforts such as funds raised per capita, non-associate involvement, and law firms that reach 100 percent associate participation. A total of 699 associates of 86.94% of all associates at participating firms, donated to the campaign in 2016, raising a total of $135,807.56 from 1,129 individual donors (including 440 non-associates).
CLS provides a host of services to its clients across the state, ranging from helping people with disabilities obtain public assistance to preventing evictions to helping families secure or maintain health insurance. Donations made as part of the Associates Campaign support all aspects of CLS’s operations, but this article focuses on one recent addition to CLS’s services: the First Name Unknown (FNU) Name Change Project: