Direct legal services organizations that provide free or low-cost legal services are the first line of defense for victims of domestic violence. OJP seeks to support projects that would establish and staff a service center in a central location at which battered women can get an attorney's help in securing and enforcing protection orders, obtaining a divorce or separation, and resolving custody and visitation issues. OJP also is interested in programs that would reach underserved battered women. Establish or strengthen legal advocacy programs operated out of or under the direct auspices of domestic violence victim advocacy organizations and shelters. Attorneys and information about civil legal rights and remedies must be available and accessible in safe locations that battered women are likely to access.
Some jurisdictions place a legal advocate in a community health clinic.
Others place lawyers or legal advocates in a local police station or sheriff's office. Any program that will rely on non-lawyer legal advocates must ensure that appropriate supervision is provided in compliance with state and local Bar rules and applicable statutory limitations. Establish or strengthen programs to recruit, train, and coordinate attorneys who will provide pro bono civil legal assistance to domestic violence victims. Key components of such programs include the recruitment, training, and ongoing mentoring of attorneys, the mandatory acceptance of a minimum number of pro bono cases following the completion of training, as well as the referral and placement of domestic violence victims with attorneys who have completed the program. Any organization that has this broader client base must develop, with input from a local domestic violence victim advocacy organization, a conflict screening process that will ensure that no civil or criminal legal matter is handled for the abuser of a client.