The office on violence against women (OVW) training and technical assistance (TA) initiative provides OVW grantees and subgrantees with the expertise and support they need to develop and implement…

This federal Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) Technical Assistance Initiative (CFDA 16.526) provides $700,000 over 36 months to the Southwest Center for Law & Policy (SWCLAP) to continue its National Tribal Trial College Certificate in Tribal Court Legal Advocacy Program. This project will offer two foundational and one advanced course to increase the quality, quantity, and competency of court personnel, advocates, prosecutors, and law enforcement officers in tribal courts. Additionally, SWCLAP will develop and implement culturally specific training and technical assistance to address the challenges tribal criminal and civil justice systems and communities face in addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and sex trafficking. The award supports a comprehensive training program, including virtual classes and in-person instruction, to enhance the capacity of legal professionals working in Indian Country and promote community-driven solutions to improve victim safety and offender accountability.

The office on violence against women (OVW) training and technical assistance (TA) initiative provides OVW grantees and subgrantees with the expertise and support they need to develop and implement successful state, local, tribal, and campus projects; increase victim safety; and bolster offender accountability. Through cooperative agreements, OVW supports educational initiatives, conferences, peer-to-peer consultations, and targeted assistance that allow current and potential grantees and subgrantees to learn from experts and one another about how to overcome obstacles and incorporate promising practices in their efforts to address violence against women. In addition, OVW is focused on building the capacity of the criminal and civil justice systems and victim service providers to respond effectively to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and to foster partnerships between organizations that have not traditionally worked together to address violence against women. With FY 2024 TA initiative funding, southwest center for law & policy (swclap) will continue its national tribal trial college certificate in tribal court legal advocacy program. This project will offer two foundational and one advanced course to increase the quality, quantity and competency of court personnel, advocates, prosecutors, and law enforcement officers in tribal courts. In addition, this project will develop and implement culturally specific training and technical assistance, focusing on the challenges tribal criminal and civil justice systems, and tribal communities, face when addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and SEX trafficking. Over the course of the project period, swclap will provide direct technical assistance, as well as convene virtual classes, culminating in a week of in-person course instruction for each of the three learning cohorts, including two foundational courses and one advanced course. This project supports FY 2024 TA initiative purpose area 60: tribal institutes national tribal trial college. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months. This award is a continuation of 15JOVW-22-GK-03990-trib. This award is for years three, four, and five of a five-year comprehensive TA project awarded competitively under the FY 2022 TA initiative solicitation.