The legal assistance for victims (LAV) grant program, 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…

The U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women has awarded a $750,000 Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Grant Program (CFDA 16.524) to Wisconsin Judicare Inc., a non-profit law firm. The 3-year grant, effective October 1, 2023, will enable Wisconsin Judicare to provide comprehensive civil and criminal legal services to adult and youth victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking across Wisconsin. Legal assistance will cover matters such as family law, housing, employment, public benefits, credit restoration, and representation in criminal justice proceedings. The project will also conduct outreach to Native American victim service providers and domestic/sexual violence organizations near reservations to increase awareness of available legal aid. As a sub-grantee, Wisconsin Judicare will collaborate with other legal aid providers on projects serving underserved populations, including those focused on elder rights, juvenile rights, child welfare, tribal court protections, and victim privacy.

The legal assistance for victims (LAV) grant program, 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, wisconsin judicare will provide civil legal assistance including representation in family, housing, employment, public benefits, credit restoration, and consumer legal matters to survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The project staff will also perform outreach to native american victim service providers, and domestic violence and sexual assault service providers near reservations and all 11 wisconsin native american tribes to create awareness of available services. The project will address priority area 3: underserved communities, focusing on serving underserved native american populations across wisconsin and prioritizing populations on or near the reservations of wisconsins 11 federally recognized tribes. The project will update previously developed products including brochures or posters.