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 Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. $750,000 on October 1, 2025, under the Legal Assistance for Victims program (CFDA 16.524) to provide civil legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in Erie County, New York through September 30, 2028.

This continuation award funds direct legal services addressing family law, immigration, employment, housing, protection orders, criminal justice matters, and post-conviction relief related to abuse or violence. Neighborhood Legal Services serves as the prime recipient and will partner with three sub-recipients to deliver the services. Western New York Law Center, Inc. provides direct legal representation for domestic violence victims addressing consumer credit issues, including vacating illegal default judgments and other credit-impacting consumer matters. Suicide Prevention & Crisis Service, Inc. screens referred cases to identify appropriate legal assistance needs, secures releases of information, manages case referrals and training coordination, and delivers comprehensive training to project partners on domestic and sexual violence dynamics, trauma neurobiology, and impacts on children. 2-1-1 WNY (VIA Visually Impaired Advancement) operates 24/7/365 phone access with information-and-referral specialists who conduct intake and warm-transfer domestic violence victims to a virtually embedded Neighborhood Legal Services paralegal for assistance with orders of protection, divorce, and consumer debt legal services.

The award period runs from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2028, with place of performance in Buffalo, New York.

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, neighborhood legal services, in partnership with western new york law center, INC. (wnylc), suicide prevention and crisis service, INC. (crisis services), and 2-1-1 WNY, will provide civil legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, or sexual assault in erie county new york. This award is a continuation of 15JOVW-22-GG-00306-lega.