The Rich McKee Memorial Litigation Fund is named in the memory of a friend and colleague who inspired the inception of our litigation program and continues to motivate our efforts to bring more transparency to California governments. He was a chemistry professor by profession and a stalwart defender of open government in his free time. His own unmatched litigation record earned him a reputation to be reckoned with. He may no longer walk the halls of California courthouses, with a presence that always left an impression, but we carry his spirit with us and pledge to continue his dogged mission in his memory.
Rich McKee was also the primary financial backer of our litigation program to date. In order to continue this program, we need new sources of funding to step in where Rich left off. The Rich McKee Memorial Litigation Fund provides the financial resource we need to continue to pursue open government litigation without dipping into our already thin operational budget. This fund is used to pay the basic costs involved in each case, including filing fees, copying, other process costs and any travel expenses that may be incurred. The fund is not intended routinely to pay attorney fees, since we are careful to choose low risk cases with the greatest potential for success, allowing recovery of our attorney fees from the defendant public agencies. We have contingency agreements with our attorneys to keep our financial burden to a minimum. It was Rich’s vision that once this program is sufficiently funded, it will be self-sustaining for years to come.
Please help us honor Rich’s memory by supporting this program today. His untimely death does not have to be the end of his influence; together, we can see that it marks the beginning of his legacy.
Want to leave a comment? Share with us your memories and leave your comments about Rich and/or the litigation program he inspired by following the link below.
Click here for Rich McKee’s Litigation Record.
To make a general contribution to Californian’s Aware, click here.
