Practical Law Presentations Putting on Domestic Violence Programs Many bar associations are developing strong public outreach programs centered on domestic violence. Law Day is an opportunity to gain exposure for these programs and provide critically needed information and help. If you're planning a program on domestic violence, the first thing you should do is find out the needs of battered victims and children. Your state coalition against domestic violence (check the phone book for listing or access www.feminist.org/911/crisis.html), The National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women (215-351-0010) and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (303-839-1852) are great sources of information and should provide you with local organizations to contact. Most importantly, be sure to contact the domestic violence shelters in your community. They can tell you specifically what they need. Battered victims and their children need legal help, and pro bono services are an excellent way to get it to them. Volunteers can teach victims how to obtain an order of protection or do it as a service for them. You may want to consider adopting a shelter. Volunteers can assist with grant requests and other legal matters, as well as provide direct legal representation for the shelter's victims. Hold a legal clinic. Send teams of lawyers into shelters to provide victims with helpful "how-to" tips and suggestions on how to remedy some of their legal issues. It's very important to remember that domestic violence is not limited to just family law. Victims of domestic violence experience legal matters involving landlord/tenant issues, for example. It's likely that a spouse or partner has been forced out of their apartment -- that individual needs to know their legal rights as a tenant. If a spouse or partner's credit is being impacted or abused by another's, they need a lawyer who knows about credit and bankruptcy to instruct them on the law. A battered victim could also be the victim of employment discrimination if they're being threatened with termination for excessive absences caused by mental distress or physical abuse. A victim needs to know how the law can protect their job. Civil, criminal, medical, and tort law -- practically every area of the law -- impacts battered victims, which is why it's important to have lawyers with diverse legal backgrounds facilitate your clinic. Train your volunteers before they begin about the special needs of victims of abuse. They should meet with intake counselors who work in shelters, and spend time talking about the stereotypes. Battered victims are not unintelligent. In many instances they have done everything they can to survive, except leave. It's important to understand the mentality of an abuse victim, which is very similar to that of a prisoner of war. An escape attempt means risking being beaten, killed or never seeing their families again. It's when a victim decides to leave that he or she is in most danger. The abuser will almost always do something to regain control over the victim. It's important for volunteers to understand these facts to avoid making insensitive or offensive comments such as "I don't understand why you keep going back," or "Why don't you just leave?" Of course you'll help victims obtain an order of protection or restraining order, but don't stop there. A safety plan is critical. Printing and/or distributing safety plans is an inexpensive, fast and effective way to get necessary information to victims. Post them in public places where they can be read without threat. Some Resources for Your Program The ABA Commission on Domestic Violence; abacdv@abanet.org; fax 202-662-1594. For statistics and information regarding battered women, contact: NCADV in Washington, D.C.: 202-638-6388 Battered Women's Justice Project: 800-903-0111 Violence Against Women Online Resources Family Violence Prevention Fund: 415-252-8900 NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund Reaching the Community Home | Practical Law Presentations Home