ACTEC Foundation Approves Grants to Support Young Lawyers, Legal Education, and Diversity Initiatives

The ACTEC Foundation Board of Directors recently met in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 26, 2026. Among the business the Board considered, several grants were approved.

The Board approved a grant of $33,000 to support the twelfth class of the Dennis I. Belcher Young Leaders Program. The grant proposal, submitted by the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel’s (ACTEC) Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Committee, provides reimbursement for expenses incurred in attending RPTE Section meetings to the Trust and Estate Division for RPTE Fellows in good standing, for two additional years after their two-year term as RPTE Fellows expires. The six new Young Leaders will be onboarded in September 2026.

The Board also approved a grant for a three-year extension of the Student Editorial Board at Hofstra for a total of $38,000 over the three-year period. Together with ACTEC, the Foundation has provided financial support for the Student Editorial Board since 2010. The Student Editorial Board gives law students the opportunity to review articles for publication, for which they receive academic credit. This is real-world, practical training that helps law students as they prepare to graduate and seek employment. They build leadership skills, learn valuable consensus-building, and sharpen critical document preparation and review skills. Serving on a student editorial board is a recognized skill that law firms value.

The Commons Law Center in Portland, Oregon submitted a grant proposal seeking to fund paid clerkships for law students of color. Paid clerkships significantly expand access and equity for aspiring lawyers and paralegals. Their grant proposal noted that there are currently only four African American Trusts and Estates practitioners in Oregon. The Board of Directors approved a grant of $5,000 to support The Commons Law Center in their work.

Additionally, the Board approved a $10,000 Honorarium for the 2027 Lloyd Leva Plaine Lecturer at the Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning in January 2027. Previous Lecturers have included Natalie Reitmn-White, Judge Maurice B. Foley, and Michael B. Greenwald. Watch this space for an announcement of the 2027 Lecturer!

Continued support from the ACTEC Foundation makes this work possible. Those interested in helping expand the reach of these educational initiatives are encouraged to learn more about the Foundation and consider making a tax-deductible contribution.