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 victims…

The Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women awarded Public Counsel $500,000 through the Legal Assistance for Victims (CFDA 16.524) grant program on October 1, 2025. Public Counsel, in partnership with Jenesse Center, delivers civil and criminal legal representation to victims and survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking across Los Angeles, Kern, Orange, Riverside, Ventura, and San Bernardino counties in California. Legal services cover family law, tribal law, immigration, employment, housing, campus administrative proceedings, protection and stay-away orders, criminal justice investigations and prosecutions, post-trial matters including sentencing and parole, alternative dispute resolution and restorative practices, and post-conviction relief proceedings where convictions relate to or arise from covered abuse or violence. The award period runs through September 30, 2027. Place of performance is Sanford, California. This continuation award follows a prior grant (15JOVW-21-GG-00403-LEGA) that ran from October 2021 through September 2024 and provided similar services in the same region.

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 victims (ages 11 and older) of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking 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 includes assistance to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in: a) family, tribal, territorial, immigration, employment, administrative agency, housing matters, campus administrative, or protection or stay away order proceedings, and other similar matters; B) criminal justice investigations, prosecutions, and post-trial matters (including sentencing, parole, and probation) that impact the victims safety and privacy; C) alternative dispute resolution, restorative practices, or other processes intended to promote victim safety, privacy, and autonomy; and D) post-conviction relief proceedings in state, local, tribal, or territorial court where the conviction of a victim is related to or arising from domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or SEX trafficking. 34 U.S.C. 12291(a)(24)(C). Through this continuation legal assistance for victims project, public counsel, in partnership with jenesse center, will provide legal representation to victims and survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and/or stalking in LOS angeles county, kern county, orange county, riverside county, ventura county, and SAN bernadino county, california. This award is a continuation of 15JOVW-21-GG-00403-lega.