About the Banks-Baldwin Foundation

The Banks-Baldwin Foundation was established in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1994. It was founded by Jeff Lucier and Craig Fraser and initially funded with part of the proceeds from the sale of The Banks-Baldwin Law Publishing Company to West Publishing Company. Along with Mr. Lucier and Mr. Fraser, the founding Trustees included Walter Harding Drane and Ronald C. Allan. Kathryn Lucier Green and Chad Green joined the Board in 2008. Susan Lucier joined the Board in 2017. Candace Hatton and Rob van Haaren joined the Board in 2020. Martha Fraser, Wilson Fraser, Amy Lucier, Madalyn Lucier and Caitlin Lucier van Haaren joined the Board in 2022. The Trustees meet annually in December to consider proposals and make grants.

At its 2022 Annual Meeting, the Trustees elected the following officers: Chad Green, President; Kathryn Lucier Green, Vice President, Caitlin Lucier van Haaren, Secretary; and Rob van Haaren, Treasurer.

The Banks-Baldwin Law Publishing Company

Established in 1804, Banks-Baldwin is the oldest law publishing company in America, with a long tradition of quality editorial products and superior customer service.

In 1913, William Edward Baldwin established the Baldwin Law Book Company in Louisville to publish the official statutes of Kentucky along with other books for Kentucky attorneys.

In 1919, while continuing to operate his Kentucky company, Mr. Baldwin moved to Cleveland and founded the Baldwin Law Publishing Company of Ohio. The major work of this new company was its first edition of the Ohio Code, published in 1921.

In 1924, while continuing to operate both his Kentucky and Ohio companies, Mr. Baldwin moved to New York, where he was employed by the Banks Company (founded in 1804) as its president. Two years later, he purchased the firm from the Banks family; and in 1933, he consolidated operations of his three companies, merging them to form The Banks-Baldwin Law Publishing Company, with corporate offices in Cleveland.

When Mr. Baldwin died, his nephew, Walter Harding (“Hardy”) Drane assumed control of the company, which prospered under his management until he retired in 1979. Mr. Drane then allowed Jeff Lucier and Craig Fraser to acquire majority interest. Mr. Lucier and Mr. Fraser led the company to new heights, until Banks-Baldwin merged with West Publishing Company, the industry leader, in 1993.

Through over 200 years of successful operation, Banks-Baldwin published many important and respected legal works, including several early volumes of U. S. Supreme Court Reports, the New York Consolidated Laws Annotated and Bouvier’s Law Dictionary. When it merged with West, the company primarily served the states of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and its leading publications were Baldwin’s Kentucky Revised Statutes Annotated, Baldwin’s Ohio Revised Code Annotated and the Approved Edition of the Ohio Administrative Code.

With proven expertise and an excellent reputation, Banks-Baldwin was the preferred source for legal information in the markets it served. Its size and state orientation gave it advantages over its larger competitors: speed, responsiveness and a focus on quality. Although computers now facilitate production of its publications, traditional standards of excellence continued to be upheld, both in the books it sold and the services it provided to its valued customers.

About the Banks-Baldwin Foundation

The Banks-Baldwin Law Publishing Company

Our Mission

The Banks-Baldwin Foundation primarily supports community based initiatives that advance education and the arts, develop self-sufficiency, promote active citizenship, and foster entrepreneurial leadership among children and young adults.

Apply Now