Cy pres awards are residual funds from a class action lawsuit that are unclaimed or cannot be distributed to the intended recipients. Under the cy pres doctrine, courts can distribute these funds to charitable causes that are seen as the next best recipient of the funds. A class action gives a voice in court to those who might not otherwise have the protections of the legal system. The ATJ Campaign is an ideal recipient of cy pres funds, as civil legal aid echoes the voice of low-income people and families who would not otherwise have access to justice.

In 2019, the Michigan Supreme Court amended MCR 3.501 to indicate that unclaimed residual funds, unless the judgment provides otherwise, shall be disbursed to the Michigan State Bar Foundation to support access to the civil justice system for low-income residents. 

The Michigan State Bar Foundation administers funds directed to the Access to Justice Campaign. 

Thank you to the firms that directed cy pres awards to the Access to Justice Campaign in 2024.

For more information about cy pres awards and other awards of residual funds, or if you have directed a cy pres award to the ATJ Campaign, please contact: atjfund@msbf.org or (517)346-6400