The New Leadership Cabinet

For over two decades, the Leadership Cabinet has been the cornerstone of the private bar support for civil legal aid in our community. Membership symbolizes something larger than a gift: it is a visible promise that Kentucky lawyers will stand together to keep the doors of justice open for all. Today, that promise is under urgent threat.

The Funding Crisis

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC), our nation’s largest funder of civil legal aid, is facing devastating federal cuts and the threat of complete elimination. If enacted, these cuts will slash Legal Aid’s capacity to serve Kentuckians:

  • veterans seeking benefits,

  • tenants fighting eviction,

  • survivors of domestic violence seeking safety, and

  • families navigating the opioid crisis.

Already, Legal Aid Society must turn away half of those who seek our help (the need far outpaces the current resources). With these cuts, even more Kentuckians will face crisis without counsel. We are calling on the private bar to lead the charge in protecting access to justice.

Join the Leadership Cabinet

Why Increase Now?

The Leadership Cabinet minimum has not changed since 2005. At that time, firms committed $250 per attorney (an average billable hour).

  • Since then, attorney hourly rates have risen by more than 60%.

  • Inflation has eroded the value of a $250 contribution. What was once substantial support is now stretched thin.

  • Meanwhile, demand for civil legal aid has surged as families face housing insecurity, economic hardship, and health-related crises.

Justice Vanguard: Leading the Charge

At this moment, the Legal Aid Society needs more than steady support, we need vanguards. Justice Vanguards are the firms that do not hesitate. They step forward immediately, embracing the full $400 per attorney commitment without delay. By doing so, they blaze the trail for the private bar and protect access to justice when it is most endangered.

These firms are not just participants in the Leadership Cabinet, they are standard-bearers. They set the pace for the legal community and demonstrate to clients, peers, and the public that leadership means action when it matters most.

Exclusive Justice Vanguard Benefits

In addition to all standard Leadership Cabinet recognition, Justice Vanguard firms receive:

  • Premium Recognition Placement: top-tier visibility in all ads and publications (with priority listing ahead of other firms).

  • Client Impact Dedication: individualized acknowledgment in an issue of the Legal Aider E-news and on social media that a specific Legal Aid case outcome or initiative was made possible through their Justice Vanguard support.

  • Executive Roundtable Invitation: exclusive invitation to a small-group annual roundtable with Legal Aid’s Executive Director and Board leadership to discuss impact, strategy, and the state of justice in Kentucky.

The Vanguard tier is not symbolic—it is decisive. It is how Kentucky lawyers prove that when the stakes are highest, we rise first and strongest.

Stair-Step Path to Full Commitment

We know change takes planning. That’s why we’re offering a stair-stepped approach to help firms grow into the new minimum.  Firms may join the Leadership Cabinet in 2025 by making a gift of $350 per attorney and, locking in their growth path and ensuring stability for Legal Aid and the clients we serve.

 

Year 1 - $350 per attorney

Year 2 - $400 per attorney

Benefits of Leadership Cabinet

Benefits of Joining the Leadership Cabinet

Firms that join the Leadership Cabinet receive high-profile recognition across Louisville’s legal and business community.  These benefits demonstrate your firm’s leadership to clients, peers, and the community at large:

Prestige & Display

  • Certificate of Recognition to proudly display in your firm’s lobby.

Professional Recognition

  • Featured in an ad in Louisville Business First.

  • Recognized in two ads in the Louisville Bar Association’s Bar Briefs.

  • Recognized in an ad in the Kentucky Bar Association’s Bench & Bar.

Legal Aid Publications

  • Recognition in Legal Aid’s Annual Report.

  • Recognition in The Legal Aider E-News.

Digital & Social Visibility

  • Individualized recognition at least once on Legal Aid’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages.

  • Recognition on the digital sign prominently displayed in Legal Aid Society’s office.

Join the New Leadership Cabinet

Your Leadership Matters Now

This is not just about sustaining a tradition—it is about safeguarding the foundation of justice in Kentucky. The legal community has always risen in moments of crisis. This is that moment. Justice Vanguards: firms that act now, without hesitation.  Leadership Cabinet: firms that stair-step toward full strength.

 Real Kentuckians need Real Justice. That requires Real Leadership.

For questions, please email Julia Leist at jleist@yourlegalaid.org.