To learn more about these grants, and for a full list of our 2025-26 granteres, read more below:

bostonbar.org/news/bbf-gra...

The organizations receiving BBF grants serve the needs of Greater Boston’s most vulnerable communities—including domestic violence survivors, immigrants, incarcerated individuals, low-income workers, veterans, children, and families in crisis.

“These grants are more than just funding—they’re a statement of our values as a legal community,” said BBF President Megan Gates. “We’re proud to support organizations doing life-changing work, helping people who might otherwise fall through the cracks of the justice system.”

These totals mark an increase in both total funding and the number of recipient organizations compared to last year.

For her leadership during a critical moment and her commitment to a legal system that is just, fair, and rooted in compassion and empathy, the Boston Bar Association is proud to recognize Chief Justice Kimberly Budd with the Haskell Cohn Distinguished Judicial Service Award.

Throughout her tenure, she has worked to demystify the judicial appointment process. With humility and thoughtfulness, she has used her own story to make members of the bar feel welcomed and supported, reinforcing her belief that the legal system must consider people in their full contexts.

Budd has served as the 38th Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court since December 1, 2020, guiding the Court through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the appointment of two new justices, all while confronting escalating threats to the judiciary’s legitimacy and judges’ security.

You can read more about Juneteenth, as well as the the landmark legal battles that abolished slavery in Massachusetts nearly a century prior, here:

bostonbar.org/news/the-lan...

That concludes tonight’s speaking program. Thanks for following along—and Go Sox!

“We must never forget the needs of the most vulnerable members of our society,” says A2J Commission co-chair Marijane Benner Browne

And now President McTygue welcomes the A2J Commission to the stage as we recognize their 20 years of vital support for pro bono legal services in MA. You can read more about the A2J Commission here:

bostonbar.org/news/bba-hon...

…It ensures that justice is not wielded as a weapon of the powerful, but as a shield for all. It promises that outcomes are determined by principle, not privilege; that due process triumphs over arbitrary judgment; and that every person, regardless of status or wealth, stands equal before the law.”

President McTygue:

“No matter where we celebrate it, Law Day is about just that – the rule of law, and its necessity in a functioning society. The rule of law is not abstract. It is the backbone of civil society, the safeguard of liberty, and the guiding force in the pursuit of fairness and equity…

President McTygue notes tonight’s event raised more than $160,000 to support the BBA and our community.