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November 20, 2025
The American College of Bankruptcy and the American College of Bankruptcy Foundation are proud to announce the award of 55 Pro Bono Grants totaling $647,600 to legal services organizations across 24 states and the District of Columbia. The 2025 Pro Bono Grantees include organizations in major metropolitan areas as well as smaller communities. Notably, nine organizations are first-time recipients of Foundation funding.
Grant funds will support a wide range of activities, including volunteer trainings, pro se clinics, self-help desks, and equipment upgrades—often enhancing both remote and in-person communication with clients and volunteers. Many grantees partner with local bar associations and volunteer bankruptcy professionals to maximize resources and extend their impact.
In addition to supporting pro bono work, the Foundation remains committed to fostering the next generation of bankruptcy professionals. To help expand access to the field, the Foundation has awarded $58,500 in Professional Pipeline Grants to five organizations that provide students with opportunities to attend conferences, gain hands-on experience through internships, and develop cultural competency skills to better serve bankruptcy clients.
“We are thrilled to be able to fund more than $700,000 in pro bono and professional pipeline grants this year—and it’s all thanks to the generosity of our College Fellows and Circuit fundraisers who believe deeply in the mission of the Foundation and work tirelessly to support these programs,” said Jan Hayden, Chair of the American College of Bankruptcy Foundation.
Since 2003, the College and Foundation have awarded more than $6.5 million in grants to strengthen access to justice and support the vital work of pro bono legal services nationwide.
Click here for a list of Pro Bono grants by circuit. Click here for the list of Professional Pipeline grants by Circuit.
MICHAEL L. COOK EXTRAORDINARY GRANT
The Foundation awarded its Michael L. Cook Extraordinary Grant to Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County in support of an innovative program that leverages artificial intelligence to create multilingual “enhanced videos” for the diverse communities it serves. In addition to English and Spanish, many of their clients speak Armenian, Persian, Tagalog, Russian, Korean, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Although Los Angeles represents an extreme example of linguistic diversity, communities across the country face similar challenges in meeting the needs of residents with limited English proficiency. If this initiative in Los Angeles proves successful, it could serve as a valuable model for pro bono programs nationwide.
The Michael L. Cook Extraordinary Grant was created in Mr. Cook's honor in 2016. It is awarded to a legal services organization that offers an innovative and exemplary approach to a previously under-served area of need. A Fellow since 1997, Michael Cook served as Chair and President of the College and Chair of its Board of Regents from 2010-2016, and as Chair of the Pro Bono Committee from 2008-2010.
The College and the Foundation awarded pro bono grants to the following organizations this year:
Access Justice Brooklyn
Brooklyn, NY
Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A
Brooklyn, NY
California Western Community Law Project
San Diego, CA
CARE Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
CENTS Program
Seattle, WA
City Bar Justice Center
New York, NY
Colorado Legal Services
Denver, CO
Community Legal Aid, Inc.
Worcester, MA
Conejo Free Clinic
Thousand Oaks, CA
Consumer Bankruptcy Assistance Project
Philadelphia, PA
Dade Legal Aid Put Something Back
Miami, FL
DC Bar Pro Bono Center
Washington, DC
Emergency Legal Responders
New Orleans, LA
Financial Protection Law Center
Wilmington, NC
Florida Legal Services, Inc.
Orlando, FL
Her Justice
New York, NY
Idaho Volunteer Lawyers Program
Boise, ID
Indianapolis Legal Aid Society, Inc.
Indianapolis, IN
Legal Access Alameda
San Francisco, CA
Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc.
Milwaukee, WI
Legal Aid Association of California
Oakland, CA
Legal Aid of Western Missouri
Kansas City, MO
Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
Cleveland, OH
Legal Aid Society of Eastern Virginia
Norfolk, VA
Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH
Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands
Nashville, TN
Legal Aid Society of San Diego
San Diego, CA
Legal Aid Society, Inc.
Louisville, KY
Legal Services NYC
New York, NY
Legal Services of Eastern Michigan
Flint, MI
Legal Services of Northern Virginia
Fairfax, VA
Legal Services Vermont
Burlington, VT
Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Services
Baltimore, MD
Nashville Conflict Resolution Center
Nashville, TN
National Consumer Bankruptcy Rights Center
San Jose, CA
Neighborhood Legal Services of LA County
Los Angeles, CA
Neighborhood Legal Services Program of the District of Columbia
Washington, DC
One Justice
San Francisco, CA
Parachute Credit Counseling
West Seneca, NY
Pikes Peaks Justice and Pro Bono Center, Inc (The Justice Center)
Colorado Springs, CO
Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland
Baltimore, MD
Pro Se Bankruptcy Assistance Project DBA Access to Bankruptcy Court
Southfield, MI
Public Counsel
Los Angeles, CA
Public Law Center
Santa Ana, CA
Shore Legal Access
Easton, MD
Southwest Georgia Legal Self-Help Center, Inc.
Albany, GA
The Pro Bono Project
New Orleans, LA
Tzedek, DC
Washington, DC
Utah State University - Transforming Communities Institute
Logan, UT
Veterans Legal Services
Boston, MA
Virginia Poverty Law Center
Richmond, VA
Volunteer Lawyers for Justice
Newark, NJ
Volunteer Lawyers Network
Minneapolis, MN
Volunteer Lawyers of Birmingham
Birmingham, AL
Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association
Boston, MA
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