The Foreign Service Journal, May 2023

AFSA NEWS THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MAY 2023 71 Annual Report: Legal Defense Fund BY LISA AHRAMJIAN, LDF COMMITTEE CHAIR The AFSA Legal Defense Fund supported two Foreign Service members in 2022, both of whom were seeking workers compensation ben- efits from the Department of Labor relating to anomalous health incidents. This is consistent with the average number of requests for assistance AFSA has typically received annually (one to two) in the past; 2019-2020 saw 12 requests, an unusually high number by comparison, and all were impeachment-related. Between donations and investment income, the fund did well financially during 2022. The fund began the year with $341,963; at year’s end, it contained $361,000. During the year, two disbursements were made in support of two AFSA mem- bers for a total of $20,000. Over the same period, $54,000 was raised through donations from members and supporters. The LDF Committee, working with AFSA’s Gov- erning Board, has con- scientiously invested the LDF funds to ensure the long-term sustainability of this vital member-centered program. The Legal Defense Fund was created in 2007 and since then has provided financial assistance to members enabling them to retain an outside attorney with expertise in a particular area of law. These cases have been—and will continue to be—limited to those with legal issues of far-reaching significance to the rest of the Foreign Service, such as cases involving due process or fundamental fairness. The governing documents for the Legal Defense Fund call for an annual report to AFSA membership on the main activities of the fund during the previous year. For more information about the fund, please contact AFSA General Counsel Sharon Papp at papps@ state.gov. n