Cy Pres Awards

Cy Pres Awards

Cy Pres awards are funds generated by a class action lawsuit that cannot be awarded or are unclaimed. Under the Cy Pres doctrine, courts can designate a nonprofit as the recipient of these funds, as long as the nonprofit’s mission furthers the purposes of the underlying causes of action.

Cy Pres awards help underwrite the vital programs and services we provide to our low-income clients. If you, your firm, or someone you know is party to or counsel on a class action case involving potential Cy Pres awards, you can nominate Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (“WLC”) as an awardee.

With a focus on civil rights, WLC has many programs that would qualify for Cy Pres awards because we work in many substantive law areas and on a wide array of issues. Awards can be accepted to support our general work or can be designated to a specific practice area: Housing Justice, Immigrant Justice, Education Equity, Disability Rights, Women’s Rights, Workers’ Rights, and Criminal Legal System Reform.