The legal assistance for victims (LAV) grant program, authorized by authorized by 34 U.S.C. 20121, is intended to increase the availability of civil and criminal legal assistance needed to effectively…

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women awarded a $400,000 Project Grant under the Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Grant Program (CFDA 16.524) to Raksha Inc., a Georgia-based nonprofit organization. The grant will support the establishment of a new legal assistance program to provide civil and criminal legal services for South Asian and immigrant survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in Georgia. Key services to be delivered include legal representation, advocacy, and assistance in matters related to family law, protection orders, and immigration relief. The grant will address priority areas of advancing racial equity and serving underserved communities. Raksha Inc. is partnering with the South Asian Bar Association and Emory Law School on this 2-year project, which aims to increase access to critical legal aid for vulnerable populations. The grant award began on October 1, 2023.

The legal assistance for victims (LAV) grant program, authorized by authorized by 34 U.S.C. 20121, is intended to increase the availability of civil and criminal legal assistance needed to effectively aid adult and youth (ages 11 to 24) victims of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, or sexual assault, by providing funds for comprehensive direct legal services to victims in legal matters relating to or arising out of that abuse or violence. Legal assistance is assistance in: a) divorce, parental rights, child support, tribal, territorial, immigration, employment, administrative agency, housing, campus, education, healthcare, privacy, contract, consumer, civil rights, protection or other injunctive proceedings, related enforcement proceedings, and other similar matters; b) criminal justice investigations, prosecutions, and post-conviction matters (including sentencing, parole, and probation) that impact the victims safety, privacy, or other interests as a victim; c) alternative dispute resolution, restorative practices, or other processes intended to promote victim safety, privacy, and autonomy, and offender accountability, regardless of court involvement; or d) post-conviction relief proceedings in state, local, tribal, or territorial court, with respect to a conviction of a victim relating to or arising from domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or SEX trafficking victimization of the victim. The LAV grant programs expanding legal services initiative (elsi) is intended to enable eligible organizations that do not currently offer legal services to establish a program that provides legal representation to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Through this new legal assistance for victims expanding legal services project, raksha, INC., in partnership with the south asian bar association and emory law school, will establish a program to provide legal assistance in family law, protection orders, and survivor-based immigration relief to south asian and immigrant survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The target geographic area is georgia, particularly metropolitan atlanta and gwinnett, dekalb, cobb, forsyth, and fulton counties. The project will address the following priority areas: 1) priority area 1: advancing racial equity and 2) priority area 3: underserved communities.