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 Pine Tree Legal Assistance Inc. five hundred thousand dollars on October 1, 2025, under the Legal Assistance for Victims grant program (CFDA 16.524) to provide comprehensive legal representation to victims and survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in York and Cumberland Counties in southern Maine.

Pine Tree Legal Assistance Inc. and its partners will deliver representation in Title IX cases, protection order proceedings, consumer rights and economic abuse matters, tax cases, housing cases, family law cases, healthcare access cases, guardianship cases, and estate planning matters. The award covers the two-year period from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2027, with place of performance in Portland, Maine. This is a continuation of a prior award (15JOVW-22-GG-00287-LEGA).

The Legal Assistance for Victims program funds civil and criminal legal services to help victims ages 11 and older in family, tribal, territorial, immigration, employment, administrative, housing, and protection order matters; criminal justice investigations and post-trial proceedings affecting victim safety and privacy; alternative dispute resolution and restorative practices; and post-conviction relief proceedings where the conviction relates to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or sex trafficking. The program serves eligible nonprofit entities, Indian tribal governments and organizations, territorial organizations, and publicly funded organizations not acting in their governmental capacity.

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, pine tree legal assistance INC., and its partners will provide representation in title IX cases, protection order cases, consumer rights/economic abuse/coerced debt cases, tax cases, housing cases, family law cases, healthcare access cases, guardianship cases, and estate planning matters to victims and survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and/or stalking in york and cumberland counties in southern maine. This award is a continuation of 15JOVW-22-GG-00287-lega.