Very supportive legislators, identified the first year, worked hard in each succeeding year and were instrumental in finally obtaining funding. Bar support, particularly from individual bar presidents and the bar lobbyist, was critical. At the beginning of the legislative session this year, the leaders described above determined that this was not a year to submit a legal services funding bill to the state legislature. However, in the course of the session, a key legislator became aware of a domestic violence bill that was moving through the legislature and appeared to have a good chance of passage. Late in the session, with support from the bill's sponsors and the domestic violence community, he was able to have the bill amended to add the language providing funding for legal services.
Funding is a line item in the state budget.
Legislation provides for the designation of a domestic violence legal services fund, with the revenue being used to fund attorneys employed by domestic violence shelters, or employed by non-profit agencies which establish a collaborative relationship with a domestic violence shelter, that provide civil legal services to victims of domestic violence. Success this year was the culmination of work over the past four years. Proposed legislation in the first three years, seeking funds for general civil legal services for the poor, was ultimately defeated, although each year advocates for legal services funding gained more support. In 1999, they decided to focus on obtaining funding to serve domestic violence victims. There was a bill before the legislature to make changes in West Virginia's family law legislation, including some domestic violence matters, and a legislator suggested including language authorizing funds for legal services for domestic violence victims in that bill.