Filling the Gap:
A Message from the Board Chair and Executive Director
With high poverty rates, all-time high housing costs, and the backlog of Montana court dockets, it is clear that families need sustainable, adequate funding for civil legal aid. Although most states provide direct funding for general civil legal aid, Montana does not.
Since our inception, Montana Justice Foundation (MJF) has been able to fill critical gaps left by government programs. However, our role has become even more necessary over the past two years as state and local funding has shifted or even disappeared.
In Montana, domestic violence shelters that receive Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) were hit hard with federal funding cuts even though the need remains the same. We are proud that our relationship with our grantees is grounded in trust, allowing us as funders to have a deeper understanding of organizational needs and be responsive to them. Since 2022, we have provided over $100,000 in grants to multiple entities to fill critical gaps left by government funding cuts.
This year, MJF provided critical funding to support two advocate positions in the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe (CSKT) Tribal Defenders Office, which partners with a national nonprofit, Partners for Justice. These advocates connect tribal members experiencing
Alissa Chambers Executive Director
Molly Shepherd: Honoring Her Legacy of Generosity and Commitment to Justice
civil or criminal legal issues with services and help to access affordable housing, transportation, and medical care. MJF has also provided critical funding to support in person elder law estate planning clinics throughout the state when funding was abruptly cut.
Studies show that a substantial majority of Americans living on low incomes face one or more civil legal issues in a year, like eviction, foreclosure, denial of public benefits, or employment disputes. Individuals dealing with domestic violence or eviction are likely to have five or more civil legal issues occurring simultaneously. Civil legal problems can have a direct impact on an individual’s ability to meet basic needs like housing, food, and healthcare and often intersect with non-legal issues such as mental illness, substance use disorder, disabilities, economic barriers, transportation, and child care. Civil legal aid ensures that pathways to safety and financial security remain open to all Montanans, regardless of income.
MJF is committed to being responsible stewards of your trust in our organization. We work tirelessly to ensure that every dollar from these transformative contributions is used efficiently and effectively, maximizing our impact on those who need it most.
Carlo Canty President
Molly Shepherd's life is a testament to her work in fostering a culture of generosity. Originally from California, Molly pursued history studies at Swarthmore College and Smith College before transferring to the University of Montana's Blewett School of Law in the mid-1970s. In Missoula, she built a distinguished career in health care and school law at Worden Thane & Haines, PC (now Worden Thane, PC).
Along the way, she served as President of the State Bar of Montana, and in 2004, the year after she retired, she received the William J. Jameson Award. Molly joined MJF as co-president with Damon Gannett in 1993 and has continued to serve and lend her professional expertise to MJF. Molly felt honored to work with the late Chief Justice Karla Gray and the late George Bousliman as they sought innovative solutions to advance access to justice in Montana.
Molly's life story is rich with varied passions and commitments. She constructed her fire-resistant, offthe-grid home in the North Fork of the Flathead, cochaired the Fire Mitigation Committee for the North Fork Landowners Association, and supported art, health care, and access to justice.
One of Molly's formative experiences occurred when she visited a migrant labor camp. Witnessing the conditions, including a baby left alone on a table, covered in flies, Molly asked herself a question that would shape her life: "What needs to be done?" This moment ignited a lifelong commitment to addressing community needs and advocating for the private sector in fostering generosity.
Faced with sharply reduced IOLTA income, Molly was part of the MJF board that made the difficult decision not to issue grants in 2002. In response, Molly and the MJF board diversified private fundraising efforts. This foresight proved invaluable during the 2008 financial crisis when private contributions helped mitigate the impact of another interest rate drop. Molly emphasizes that while private giving cannot fully counterbalance the volatility of IOLTA revenue, sustainable annual donations make a critical difference during economic uncertainty.
Molly was pivotal in launching the Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) and recently directed $50,000 to MJF to fully fund the LRAP for a year. These grants are to Montana attorneys who provide legal aid services and are not funded by IOLTA revenue.
For over thirty years, Molly has exemplified the spirit of generosity, playing a crucial role in stewarding the more than ten million dollars in grants MJF has distributed and shaping it into a sustainable organization.
Molly Shepherd's legacy at MJF and with many other organizations is a powerful reminder of one person's impact in creating lasting change. She believes those who can give are responsible for leading by example and inspiring others to follow suit.
2024 Grant Awards
In June, the Montana Justice Foundation was proud to award over $800,000 in grants to organizations working to improve access to justice in Montana. MJF has awarded $10 million to nonprofit organizations across Montana in the past twenty years.
Civil legal aid is even more critical during economic hardship. Our grantees help ensure that children in foster care, survivors of domestic violence, and families in crisis can receive the legal support they need. By investing in these organizations, MJF can uphold access to justice and foster stability and growth within our communities.
The 2024 grant recipients are American Legion/Boys and Girls State, Billings Mediation Center, Cascade County Law Clinic, CASA of Lake and Sanders Counties, CASA of Missoula, CASA of Yellowstone County, Center for Restorative Youth Justice (Kalispell), Community Dispute Resolution Center of Missoula, Eastern Montana CASA GAL, HAVEN, Montana Fair Housing, Montana Innocence Project, Montana Legal Services Association, Partners for Justice, Safe Harbor (Ronan), Sanders County Coalition for Families, YWCA Billings, YWCA Helena, and YWCA Missoula.
Statewide / Rural
We are grateful to everyone who made these grants possible. Your generosity will make a big difference in balancing the scales of justice and helping those who would otherwise have to navigate the civil justice system alone.
Funding from the Montana Justice Foundation is a cornerstone to the continuation of free civil legal aid for thousands of vulnerable Montanans, empowering them to solve legal issues with housing, income, healthcare, domestic violence, creditor-debtor, and Tribal rights. This grant will help people not only access justice, but also basic housing, food, and safety.
Alison Paul, Executive Director Montana Legal Services Association.
MJF Total Grant Funding Exceeds $10 Million
MJF is proud to have reached the important milestone of awarding $10 million to individuals and organizations addressing access to justice in Montana. Years of more substantial grantmaking are often due to generous cy pres awards, and years of lower grant making are the result of volatile IOLTA interest rates. Since 2002, MJF has worked to diversify revenue sources and establish reserve accounts to stabilize funding for our grantees.
$600,000
Cumulative
$10,000,000
$8,000,000
The past year, by the numbers 25% raised beyond our fundraising goal $800K+ granted in grants
$10,000,000+ awarded in total giving
$6,000,000
$400,000
$200,000
$4,000,000
11 supportive financial institutions
$20K+ granted in loan repayment assistance for law students since 2002
$2,000,000
22 grantees in 2024
230 total donors
**Due to the near leveling of interest rates in the early 2000s and the need to dip into MJF reserves to fund grants for 2001, the MJF board made the difficult decision not to award any grants in 2002. ** The increase in grants in 2017-2019 resulted from 1.5 million secured through a national mortgage-related settlement agreement between Bank of America and the US Department of Justice.
Preferred Financial Institutions
These financial institutions go above and beyond the minimum requirements to qualify for IOLTA eligibility by offering attractive interest rates on IOLTA accounts and waiving all fees. Their support leads to more funding for essential legal aid. MJF encourages attorneys and firms to support access to justice by doing business with these financial institutions.
A Full Circle Moment with Montana Girls State
As a Montana Justice Foundation (MJF) board member, I am happy we could provide funding to the American Legion Boys and Girls State. This grant holds a special significance for me, as Montana Girls State was pivotal in exposing me to career paths I may not have otherwise seen.
Coming out of my junior year in high school, I participated in the week-long educational opportunity then known as Girls State. During this experience, I had the chance to shadow Montana Supreme Court Justice Karla Gray. Justice Gray's sharp intellect and dedication to the law left a lasting impression on me. I also had the opportunity to see a prosecutor and defense attorney speak together on a panel about their work and the role they each played in the justice system.
Before Girls State, I had never been around attorneys or had any inkling of what they do. This early exposure was seminal in sending me on a path to law school and legal practice. My law career has allowed me to work on projects around the world and locally. I am now a shareholder at Parsons, Behle & Latimer.
The grant from MJF will support the continued success of this program, ensuring that more young people living in Montana have the chance to experience the same horizon-expanding experience that I did.
Boys State and Girls State joined forces two years ago, and we are excited to see what the future holds. MJF’s board of directors recognizes the value of investing in our youth and future leaders. Supporting Montana Boys and Girls State is a testament to our commitment to fostering opportunities that can change lives and shape futures.
Tara Rice, Board Member, Montana Justice Foundation
Grantee Spotlight –YWCA of Missoula
The YWCA of Missoula has been a long-time grantee of MJF. They shared an email from a client who received legal assistance supplemented with MJF funds. Grant funds helped this client finalize her divorce case, provided extensive crime victim's rights assistance as her abuser was charged with numerous crimes, including felony stalking, and worked with out-of-state address confidentiality programs to secure safety for the client when she fled the state of Montana. The client wrote:
“Thank you for everything you and your team has done. I definitely know I could not have managed through all this. I have a new lease on life and feel a lot more comfortable and not looking over my shoulder all the time since I have moved. I have continued advancing in my career. I have been able to reconnect with my family. And start socializing just in general. So, thank you for everything you and everyone did. I could never express how much my life has improved and feel I can actually live now.
Board of Directors
Carlo Canty, President
State of Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance
Helena
Bob Minto, Treasurer ALPS Corporation (Retired) Missoula
Molly Kelly
Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation
Helena
Hon. David Rice Retired
Missoula
Ashley Burleson
Crowley Fleck PLLP Bozeman
Ex-Officio Board Members
Hon. Beth Baker Montana Supreme Court
Helena
Bill Bronson, Vice President Cascade County Law Clinic Great Falls
Kyle Nelson, Past President Goetz, Geddes & Gardner, PC Bozeman
John Heenan Heenan & Cook, PLLC Billings
Katherine Huso Matovich, Keller & Huso, P.C. Billings
Ryan Jones First Interstate Bank Missoula
John Mudd (Permanent Ex Officio Seat) State Bar of Montana
Rice,
Mike Lamb Lamb Law Office Helena
Don Murray Hash, O’Brien, Biby & Murray, PLLP Kalispell
Lexie Bass
Associate Financial Advisor, Trost Wealth Management
Helena
Maggie Weamer Tarlow, Stonecipher, Weamer & Kelly, PLLC Bozeman
Helena Hon. Katherine Bidegaray 7th Judicial District Court
Sidney
University of Montana Law Student Members
Gillian Ellison, 2L. Missoula Alex Clark, 3L, Missoula
Emeritus Board Members/Non-Board Committee Members
Molly Shepherd, Missoula (Grants) Hon. Patricia Cotter, Helena
Staff
Tara
Secretary Parsons, Behle & Latimer Helena
Alissa Chambers
Executive Director
Becky Schupp Watson Chief Administrative Officer
Funding For Civil Legal Aid In Montana
In the 1980s, Interest on Lawyer Trust Account (IOLTA) programs were established to generate funds for civil legal aid by pooling interest earned on lawyers’ trust accounts, which typically hold client funds temporarily or in nominal amounts. IOLTA accounts generate interest on these pooled funds, providing a continuous and sustainable revenue stream for civil legal aid that is tax-free to the clients and the lawyers.
The Montana Justice Foundation is Montana’s IOLTA administrator. We contribute 100% of the interest earned on IOLTA accounts back to Montana Legal Services Association and other access to justice nonprofit organizations in the form of grants. In 2022, MLSA leveraged MJF funding to handle 4,949 cases, assisting 12,137 clients and their families with public benefits, housing, and domestic violence matters.
The cy pres doctrine has been an effective way to enhance revenue for funding civil legal aid. After a class action, after claims are paid, an amount often remains because members cannot be located, or it is impossible to determine each plaintiff’s share of the settlement fund. Under the doctrine of cy pres, at least 50% of residual funds remaining in class action matters are allocated to an access to justice organization, such as MJF and nonprofits funded by MJF.
Cy Pres Gratitude
In 2023, attorneys John Heenan (Heenan & Cook, PLLC, Billings) and David Paoli (Paoli Law Firm, Missoula) orchestrated a $1.5 million cy pres contribution to MJF. John Morrison (Morrison Sherwood Wilson & Deola, Helena) directed two residual fund settlements totaling $200,000 to the Montana Justice Foundation and additional funds to Montana Legal Services (MLSA) and Montana CASA/GAL. These cy pres funds enabled MJF to fund a dedicated consumer protection attorney at MLSA for three years. In early 2024, Ross Keogh, shareholder of Parsons Behle & Latimer (Missoula office) directed $25,000 in qualified settlement funds to MJF, allowing MJF to make a one-time emergency grant domestic violence prevention services during a federal funding shortfall. Coupled with the support of the Montana legal community, funds like these empower nonprofit organizations across the state to ensure access to justice for those who might otherwise have been left voiceless and vulnerable.
Montana Justice Foundation Timeline
private fundraising revenue doubled.
received $1.2 million due to a settlement by MJF board member, John Heenan, in partnership with the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, Monica Lindeen.
received $1,554,591 through a national mortgage-related settlement agreement
David Paoli
John Heenan
Grantee Spotlight –
We the People
We the People is a law-related education program MJF has funded for ten years. In 2024, Montana teams resumed the state competition in Helena for the first time in person since the pandemic. It was a wonderful volunteer experience for MJF executive director Alissa Chambers and Board member Mike Lamb.
Research shows that We the People students scored significantly higher on civic knowledge and civic dispositions tests than their peers. These dispositions include (1) respect for the rule of law, (2) political attentiveness, (3) civic duty, (4) community involvement, (5) commitment to government service, and (6) the norms of political efficacy and political tolerance.
We are thrilled to continue supporting this program and want to note that Richard Hildner, who spearheaded it in Montana and got it off the ground, is turning over the reins. We thank him for his years of service and are excited to see what is in store for We the People in the future.
CRYJ’s upstream and innovative work in bringing RJ into schools has truly changed the way we operate. Teachers and administrators prioritize relationships and repair over traditional punitive discipline - this mind shift, in large part, has been influenced and inspired by CRYJ!
Sara Cole Former Kalispell Public Schools Director of Special Services and current Assistant Superintendent
Investing in Youth Empowerment
This year, MJF awarded funding to the Center for Restorative Youth Justice (CRYJ). CRYJ collaborates with teens, families, justice agencies, and school discipline teams in Flathead Valley to reduce youth involvement with the justice system, foster meaningful accountability, and break cycles of harm.
In 2023, the Montana Board of Crime Control awarded them the Innovative Community Approvement Award. During the ceremony they said CRYJ is an incredible asset to the Flathead Valley and the state of Montana would greatly benefit from the creation and expansion of more programs like the ones offered through CRYJ.
“Exceptional program. This is the missing piece in our justice system. Every teen struggling with potential legal issues deserves a CRYJ. This is how we craft better humans for a better society. It can help teens feel like they matter...and to not get into a cycle with mistakes that can leave permanent scars on their future.”
CRYJ youth have a significantly lower recidivism rate.
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