Text Box: The Interest on Lawyers' Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program was established by the Legislature in 1984 to assist in the delivery of legal services to the poor. The Connecticut Bar Foundation was charged with the responsibility of receiving and distributing the interest generated from the lawyers' trust accounts. In 1989, IOLTA became a mandatory program and was amended to include scholarships for students demonstrating financial need attending law schools in Connecticut. The statue was amended in 2005 to include funds from all entities “having accounts established to receive loan proceeds from a mortgage lender” (IOTA). On June 26, 2006 the Judges of the Superior Court voted to amend the Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.15, to clarify where attorneys and law firms can hold their IOLTA accounts. The Connecticut Bar Foundation was charged with determining which financial institutions are eligible under the amended rule. Please click here for a listing of the current “eligible financial institutions”. Please click here for a copy of the amended court rule, Rule 1.15. A Judicial Branch Grants-in-Aid program for legal services was included in the 2007 state budget. This appropriation provides $1,000,000 per year in funding for legal services from July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2009. Since 1987, The Foundation has awarded $154,725,523 in grants: $150,729,584 for legal services for the poor $ 3,995,939 for scholarships For the 2008 grant year, the Board has awarded grants to ten non-profit organizations to provide civil legal representation to poor people in Connecticut. Connecticut Legal Services , Greater Hartford Legal Aid, and the New Haven Legal Assistance Association provide general legal assistance. In addition, grants were awarded to the Center for Children's Advocacy to provide legal advice to poor children statewide; the Children's Law Center to provide representation to low income children in Hartford, Tolland and Windham counties; Lawyers for Children America to provide representation to poor children in Hartford, Fairfield, and New Haven counties; Connecticut Fair Housing Center to ensure equal access to housing opportunities for Connecticut residents with scarce financial resources; Connecticut Legal Rights Project to serve low income people with legal needs who are patients in state psychiatric hospitals and after discharge; and AIDS Legal Network to provide legal assistance to low income people in the state with HIV/AIDS. The Foundations’ new grantee, Statewide Legal Services provides intake, legal advise, self-help, brief service and pro-bono referral to the poor throughout the state. To learn about IOLTA programs in other states please click here . . IOLTA.ORG. The American Bar Association Commission on IOLTA has additional information regarding IOLTA programs, news, litigation and dialogue please click here . . . . . . . . ABA Commission on IOLTA.

Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts  (IOLTA)

Interest on Trust Accounts (IOTA)

Judicial Branch Grants-in-Aid (JBGIA)

To contact us:

31 Pratt Street, Suite 420, Hartford, CT 06103

Phone:  860-722-2494

Fax:  860-722-2497

 Email:  ctbf@cbf-1.org

Last Updated April 2008

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IOLTA Court Rule

 

IOLTA/IOTA

Enrollment Form

 

IOLTA Statute

CT Practice Book

Sec. 2-27 & 2-28