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 Office on Violence Against Women awarded United Migrant Opportunity Services / Umos Inc. $400,000 on October 1, 2025, under the Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Expanding Legal Services Initiative (ELSI) program (CFDA 16.524) to plan and implement a comprehensive legal services program providing legal representation to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence.

Umos will deliver direct legal services on matters relating to custody, child support, divorce, and restraining orders for victims ages 11 and older. The award establishes a new legal services capability at Umos, which previously did not offer legal assistance. Place of performance is Bay View, Wisconsin. Period of performance runs through September 30, 2027.

The LAV program funds civil and criminal legal assistance to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking victims in family law, immigration, employment, housing, protection order proceedings, criminal justice investigations and post-trial matters affecting victim safety and privacy, alternative dispute resolution, restorative practices, and post-conviction relief proceedings where the victim's conviction arises from abuse or violence.

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). The LAV grant programs expanding legal services initiative (elsi) is intended to enable eligible organizations that do not currently offer legal services to establish a program that provides legal representation to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Through this new legal assistance for victims expanding legal services initiative (elsi) project, united migrant opportunity services/umos, INC. (umos) will plan and implement a comprehensive legal services program to provide legal representation on matters relating to custody, child support, divorce, and restraining orders for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and dating violence in the winnebago, fond DU LAC, milwaukee, racine, and kenosha counties in wisconsin.