Des Moines, December 17, 2012–The Iowa Supreme Court Lawyer Trust Account Commission is accepting applications for grants under the Interest on Lawyer Trust Account (IOLTA) program for the grant period that begins July 1, 2013. IOLTA program grants are awarded to public purpose projects that provide legal services to low-income persons in civil cases, law-related education, and other programs that improve the administration of justice in Iowa.
Under recently adopted changes in chapter 44 of the Iowa Court Rules, applicants now must file one copy of their application in paper form and one copy in electronic form. Organizations may obtain a copy of the revised rules and grant application forms (paper and electronic) by contacting the Lawyer Trust Account Commission, Judicial Branch Building, 1111 East Court Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50319; by calling (515) 725-8029; or by electronic mail to iolta@iowacourts.gov. Application forms also may be downloaded from the Commission's web page on the Iowa Judicial Branch web site at:
http://www.iowacourts.gov/Professional_Regulation/Attorney_RegulationCommissions/IOLTA
The Commission must receive completed grant applications no later than 4:30 p.m., Friday, March 8, 2013. The Commission will then review the applications and seek approval from the Iowa Supreme Court for awarding the grants. Grant recipients will be announced in late May or early June of 2013.
The Iowa Supreme Court created the Commission to provide legal services to low-income persons in civil cases using the interest from lawyers' pooled trust accounts. The lawyers' pooled trust accounts hold clients' funds that are so small in amount or held for such a brief period that it is not possible for interest on the funds to financially benefit the individual clients. Previously, attorneys' trust accounts earned no interest. The first grants awarded under the IOLTA program were made in June, 1986. To date, the Commission has awarded more than $23,203,000 in grants.
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