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 Saint Paul & Ramsey County Domestic Abuse Intervention Project (SPIP) was awarded a $750,000 Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women. The LAV Grant Program, authorized under 34 U.S.C. 20121, provides civil and criminal legal assistance to adult and youth victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Through this LAV grant, SPIP will deliver comprehensive legal representation and services to victims in Ramsey County, Minnesota in matters such as protection orders, divorce, child custody, public benefits, immigration, housing, and employment. The project aims to increase access to culturally and linguistically responsive legal aid for victims by collaborating with the Hamline Mitchell School of Law. Products to be developed include policies, procedures, evaluation tools, job descriptions, educational materials, and promising practices to be replicated in other communities.

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. Through this continuation legal assistance for victims project, the saint paul & ramsey county domestic abuse intervention project (spip) will provide legal representation and services (e.g., protection orders, divorce, child custody, visitation, support, public benefits, name change, immigration, housing, tenant rights, employment, etc.) to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault with new and/or complex family/civil court cases and modifying existing applicable court orders/cases. Spip will provide culturally and linguistically responsive legal services and collaborate with hamline mitchell school of law to support legal assistance to victims. The geographic service area is ramsey county, minnesota, which includes the city of ST. Paul. The project will address priority area 2: increasing legal services to victims of sexual assault. The following products will be developed during the project period: policies and procedures; evaluation tools; job descriptions; educational materials; agreements; and promising practices to be replicated in other communities.