The struggle continues to secure adequate funding for legal services to low-income Missourians. Our members continue to contribute their time, money, political influence, and support in many, many ways and the results are noticeable and appreciated.

This year, funding at both the state and federal levels for legal services was increased. Although the increases were small, everyone who has worked hard to secure public funding is heartened by the success.

Additionally, funds collected by the Missouri Lawyers Trust Account Foundation, which were cast in doubt earlier this year by a U.S. Supreme Court decision, now have been freed up and continue to be available to support legal services around the state. Following an exhaustive review of the results of the Phillips v. Washington Legal Foundation case, Missouri has joined every other IOLTA program in the country by continuing operations and delivering significant financial assistance for legal services to our low-income citizens.

Many of you volunteer large amounts of time directly to accept cases from legal services, and many others of you provide assistance directly to those unable to pay without formal involvement by legal services programs. Missouri Bar President Jennifer Gille Bacon has recently sent out a request for you to continue volunteering and to make direct financial contributions, if you are in a position to do so. Additionally, this year, for the second time, we will be asking you to voluntarily report the pro bono work you performed during 1998. That information is requested on a separate enclosure with your enrollment fee statement, which will be received in December.

Responses received last year regarding pro bono work were very helpful to us in our efforts to secure additional funding at both the state and federal levels. Accordingly, I would urge you to continue to provide this information. Those of you who responded last year indicated an average of 100 hours of pro bono work completed, which far exceeds The Missouri Bars recommendation that each member contribute a minimum of 40 hours of pro bono work.

Thank you very much for your wonderful support, and please keep up the good work.