Clients often face several challenges, including victimization through domestic violence and/or harassment, homelessness, poverty, and unemployment. The Legal Centre provides free legal representation, court advocacy or telephone advice to more than 6,000 people each year to find protection from violence orders, custody and assistance. It was very effective for me, because there was a group of women who were on the Speak Out committee, who were underage women, who were noisy and who were feminists. But it was only during this event that they were moved to share. I stood there, absolutely overwhelmed by how to silence domestic violence and sexual assault. It was really the beginning of my passion for working with victims and survivors because it was such a powerful experience. I went to law school to prosecute sex crimes, and you need a very special type of lawyer who can be very passionate, but also able to separate himself from that kind of work to some extent. I was not at a point in my life then and now when I could prosecute and separate myself from a criminal sexual offence. I still have healing from my experiences on my journey ahead of me. Instead, I got involved early on in a sexual assault and domestic violence clinic sponsored by Minnesota Women Lawyers, and so I met Evon Spangler, my co-founder of our nonprofit domestic violence legal defense center, PSC. Today, Rachel uses her voice in a professional context as an advocate for survivors of domestic violence, veterans, seniors and others whose voices might otherwise not be heard. She also honours her mentors by helping to empower the next generation of women, just as her mentors have empowered them.
Given Rachel`s compassion, openness, and courage to be vulnerable, it`s easy to imagine her standing up for her clients and mentoring other women with her empathetic, encouraging, and empowering voice. My passion for working with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault goes back to Winona. I am a survivor of sexual assault and domestic violence. During my time at WSU, I worked with FORGE and the WILL program to relaunch the Take Back the Night 2009 walk. WSU hadn`t organized a Take Back the Night walk in a long time, and I worked with about six women on the Speak Out committee. Two of us wanted to talk about our experiences and the other four members of the committee had printed poems or lyrics. However, when these people were supposed to read the poems, each person stood up and said, «I wanted to read this, but… » and then talked about their own experiences. I started volunteering early in my law practice to gain experience and give back. This is really beneficial for young lawyers because you can volunteer at free legal clinics even if you are in law school. This is incredibly beneficial because you have a lawyer to mentor you and the community receives free legal services.
For free legal assistance from the Women Against Abuse Legal Center, call 215.686.7082. Court Advocacy: Women Against Abuse lawyers provide direct legal assistance and safety planning to victims of domestic violence in courts who may not be familiar with the Women Against Abuse Legal Center. Lawyers help clients manage the legal process, which can be cumbersome, abstruse and retraumatizing for victims. Women`s Against Abuse`s lawyers are based in the Philadelphia Family Court, where protection from abuse cases is heard, and in Philadelphia`s two criminal courtrooms dedicated to domestic violence cases. You can try to find more information on their website: www.domesticabuselegaladvocacycenter.org Legal Representation: Women Against Abuse offers free legal representation for people seeking protection from violence or custody and support. In Philadelphia, 85% of people seeking Civil Protection Against Abuse (PFA) are unrepresented and must appear in court despite a lack of familiarity with the trial. As a result, the majority of applicants are unable to provide the necessary proof of their eligibility for a PAA, even if the facts of their case entitle them to do so.