DC Volunteer Lawyers Project

The DC Volunteer Lawyers Project is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide high-quality, free legal services to low-income District of Columbia residents in family law cases. Our volunteer lawyers provide pro bono legal representation to: survivors of domestic violence in civil protection order, custody, visitation, divorce, child support and immigration cases, children in high-conflict custody cases, foster parents in adoption, guardianship, placement and licensing matters, third-party caregivers in custody cases. Founded in January of 2008, the DCVLP addresses the urgent need for more pro bono family law lawyers by tapping into an unused resource -- experienced lawyers who have left full-time legal practice, many of them to raise families, and want to use their legal skills to help the community. The DCVLP assists these lawyers in reentering the legal profession by providing training programs, a professional support network, and mentorship and supervision throughout the duration of a case. The DCVLP also provides volunteers with malpractice insurance, an office for client meetings, online legal research tools and other resources they need to provide free, high-quality legal representation to indigent clients.

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WNBA's Becky Hammon has been hired as the Spurs' assistant coach!

Veteran WNBA player Becky Hammon is joining the reigning NBA champion San Antonio Spurs' coaching staff.

This is great news for so many reasons. The sports world remains one in which women are often excluded or treated as inferior--but actions like these have the potential to change harmful attitudes about athletics and women's abilities. Hammon is an amazing player, and she'll make an amazing coach. Hopefully more women will follow in Hammon's footsteps!

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One in five women are sexually assaulted on college campuses. A new bipartisan bill aims to address this by enforcing financial penalties, creating uniform disciplinary procedures and mandating student surveys with public access to results. 

http://dcvolunteerlawyersproject.blogspot.com/2014/07/sexual-assault-on-campus-new-solution.html

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"Recently, 'Jane Doe,' a 16-year-old trans girl from Connecticut, was moved from a girls’ detention center to solitary confinement in a boys’ facility due to allegations of violence, prompting many feminists and LGBT advocates to press for her return to a girls’ facility." This problem raises the question of whether prisons should be segregated by gender at all. Read more in today's blogpost.

http://dcvolunteerlawyersproject.blogspot.com/2014/07/jane-doe-and-gender-segregated-prisons.html

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Stephen A. Smith Suspended (Follow up to yesterday's blog post: Domestic Violence in the Sports World)

http://dcvolunteerlawyersproject.blogspot.com/2014/07/stephen-smith-suspended-see-yesterdays.html

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Recently in the news: former Minnesota Twins player, Chuck Knoblauch, arrested for domestic violence

Stephen A. Smith's view on domestic violence following the Ray Rice case.

http://dcvolunteerlawyersproject.blogspot.com/2014/07/domestic-violence-in-sports-world.html

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"The right to freedom of speech ends where an individual’s concern for his or her safety begins." Online abuse is still abuse. Read more in today's blog post. 

http://dcvolunteerlawyersproject.blogspot.com/2014/07/online-abuse-or-freedom-of-speech.html

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Leslie Morgan Steiner: Why domestic violence victims don’t leave …

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"50 Shades of Grey" is Back and Just as Bad as Ever

Just when you thought the 50 Shades of Grey phenomenon had run its course, the trailer for the upcoming film adaption took over the Internet. And it wasn’t pretty. The 2 minute and 24 second trailer contains the following troubling details:

the main character Anastasia describing Christian Grey as “really intimidating”

Grey creepily staring at her and inquiring into her personal life

Grey saying “I’m incapable of leaving you alone"

more creepy staring

and in the final seconds, shots of whips and restraints

All in all, it’s not looking good. The movie appears to be a pretty faithful adaptation of the first book in the series, which many have accused of romanticizing an abusive relationship (a la Twilight). A 2013 article in the Journal of Women’s Health analyzed the novel and reported that “consistent with the Centers for Disease Control’s definitions of intimate partner violence, emotional abuse was present in nearly every interaction, including stalking, intimidation, isolation, and humiliation; these strategies collectively served to control Anastasia.”

 Presenting a clearly abusive relationship as an exciting erotic affair perpetuates skewed views of abuse, and that’s exactly what the book does, and presumably what the movie will do. We really don’t need any more reason to pay attention to 50 Shades of Grey, but if the #50shadesofgreytrailer tag trending on twitter is any indication, more attention is (unfortunately) exactly what it’s going to get. 

Watch the trailer below (for mature audiences only): http://time.com/3023563/50-shades-of-grey-trailer/

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During a rape trial last year, Montana Judge G. Todd Baugh said that the 14 year old victim, raped by her 47 year old teacher, was "as much in control of the situation as the defendant." He sentenced the man to only 30 days in jail.

This week, Baugh finally faced consequences for his ignorant and insensitive behavior. Read more in today's blog post. 

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TRIGGER WARNING 

Read today's blog post to find out how youtube comments can reinforce and normalize a sexist culture and what YouTube vloggers like Emily Graslie and Anita Sarkeesian are doing in response. 

http://dcvolunteerlawyersproject.blogspot.com/2014/07/lady-vloggers-fearless-heroines-of.html

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Lana Del Rey continues an unfortunate trend of glorifying domestic violence in her new song, "Ultraviolence." With lyrics like "he hit me and it felt like a kiss," Del Rey sends the wrong message to her fans. Domestic violence is not a "romantic" concept, it's a serious pattern of abuse and control. 

http://dcvolunteerlawyersproject.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-problem-with-lana-del-reys-music.html

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Last week we blogged about the Hobby Lobby Supreme Court ruling. Stay updated on the story below!

http://dcvolunteerlawyersproject.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-hobby-lobby-debate-continues.html

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NEW posts up on the DCVLP blog!

Check out our newest AWARE blog posts! 

How Hobby Lobby Relates to Domestic Violence

Why the ruling hurts women beyond access to birth control

and The Effects of Valuing Two-Parent Homes

How stereotypes can push women into dangerous situations

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Following Germany's 7-1 win over Brazil in the World Cup, the internet blew up with offensive and ignorant jokes that compared the game to sexual assault. See some example tweets, along with responses that call those responsible out on their behavior.

Rape is not a joke. Using it as a punchline undermines the experiences of survivors and enables rape culture. 

(photos from http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/201407092030-0023915)

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Gender discrepancies in family leave reflect problematic assumptions about gender roles in society. 

http://dcvolunteerlawyersproject.blogspot.com/2014/07/arguement-against-paid-family-leave.html

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Street Sense featured DCVLP in an article, "Project Gives Poor a Voice in Civil Court" Check it out!

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Erin Cavalier was raped during her freshman year at Catholic University. Her choice to share her story sheds light on the issue of sexual assault on campus, and the shortcomings of administrative responses. No more excuses.

http://dcvolunteerlawyersproject.blogspot.com/2014/07/one-students-bravery-leads-others-to.html