Legal / Laws

American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence – works to mobilize the legal profession to provide access to justice and safety for victims of domestic violence, Chicago, IL.

American Bar Association Family Law Section – has the following six goals: 1) to promote and improve the family; 2) to be the pre-eminent voice on marital and family issues; 3) to serve our members; 4) to improve public and professional understanding about marital and family law issues and practitioners; 5) to increase the diversity and participation of our membership; and 6) to improve professionalism of all participants in the administration of marital and family law, Chicago, IL.

Battered Women's Justice Project – promotes systemic change within community organizations and governmental agencies engaged in the civil and criminal justice response to domestic violence that creates true institutional accountability to the goal of ensuring safety for battered women and their families, Minneapolis, MN.


Center for Law and Public Policy on Sexual Violence, National Crime Victim Law Institute – focuses on sexual violence issues that will advance the NCVLI’s goal of bringing together organizations that serve crime victims and survivors of sexual violence, Portland, OR.

Centro de Justicia Para Mujeres, brindar una defensa gratuita a víctimas de violación, violencia doméstica y abuso infantil, particularmente en las comunidades hispanas y otras que no son atendidas adecuadamente en el condado de Sonoma. Proveer capacitación en defensa pública y educación comunitaria. Coordinar la Fuerza de Tarea sobre Mujeres en la Policía con el objetivo de incrementar el número de mujeres y personas pertenecientes a minorías en nuestras agencias de aplicación de justicia. Comprometernos con la justicia igualitaria para todas las mujeres y las niñas, Santa Rosa, CA.

Children and Domestic Violence – State Statutes Series 2004, National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information, Administration for Children & Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC.

Domestic Violence Law Search, Family Violence Department, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, a database of laws by state – indicate a specific state and the laws for that state are provided, Reno, NV.

Domestic Violence Laws of the World, Harvard Law School – links to domestic violence laws in 30 countries, Cambridge, MA.

Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment and Appeals Project – DV LEAP believes that real and lasting change in legal and social responses to domestic violence requires great patience and persistence. DV LEAP provides victims with the continued support needed – often for years – to take a case through the appellate process, in order to advance justice and achieve both system and perpetrator accountability, Washington, DC.

Institute for Law and Justice, Domestic Violence page – collected references and organizational contacts of practical or legal and educational use to families, justice professionals, or mental health and social service professionals, Alexandria, VA.

LawHelp – helps low and moderate income people find free legal aid programs in their communities, and answers to questions about their legal rights.

Legal Momentum, is the nation’s oldest women’s legal rights organization. Formerly known as the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund, New York, NY.

The Legal Project, Jewish Women International – designed to educate abused women and their advocates about the legal system and the resources available to help confront and escape domestic abuse. You will find the latest information on protective orders, civil divorce, Jewish divorce (get), custody and visitation, and many other legal subjects, with links to your individual state laws, Washington, DC.

Legal Services Corporation – is a private, non-profit corporation established by Congress to seek to ensure equal access to justice under the law for all Americans by providing civil legal assistance to those who otherwise would be unable to afford it. LSC was created in 1974 with bipartisan congressional sponsorship and the support of the Nixon administration, and is funded through congressional appropriation. LSC-funded programs do not handle criminal cases, nor do they accept fee-generating cases that private attorneys are willing to accept on a contingency basis. In addition, in 1996 a series of new limitations were placed upon activities in which LSC-funded programs may engage on behalf of their clients, even with non-LSC funds. Among them are prohibitions on class actions, challenges to welfare reform, collection of attorneys' fees, rulemaking, lobbying, litigation on behalf of prisoners, representation in drug-related public housing evictions, and representation of certain categories of aliens. The Corporation has implemented and rigorously enforced these restrictions, Washington, DC.

National Center on Full Faith and Credit, Battered Women's Justice Project – the mission is to facilitate implementation of the Full Faith and Credit clause of the Violence Against Women Act in all states, tribes, and territories by raising public awareness of the statute's requirements and providing problem-solving technical assistance and support to individuals and jurisdictions, Arlington, VA.

National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women – help working with battered women charged with killing their abusers, women who are coerced into criminal activity, and women who are charged with a crime a result of "failing to protect" their children from their batterers violence and/or abuse, Philadelphia, PA.

National Crime Victim Bar Association – providing technical support to attorneys representing crime victims in civil suits, referring crime victims to lawyers in their local area, and increasing general awareness about the availability of civil remedies for victims of crime, Washington, DC.

National Crime Victim Law Institute – is committed to the enforcement and protection of victims' rights in the criminal justice system. It is the only organization of its kind in the United States. As a non-profit research and educational organization, NCVLI can assist attorneys who provide direct legal services, file amicus briefs to advocate for victims, and conduct research and provide information on issues concerning victims' legal rights, Portland, OR.

National Women’s Law Center is working to protect and advance the progress of women and girls at work, in school, and in virtually every aspect of their lives, Washington, DC.

Purple Berets is a grassroots, in-your-face women's rights group dedicated to gaining equal justice for women. We work as advocates for women who are victims of sexual assault and domestic violence and we do direct action political organizing to make system-wide change to give women access to justice, Santa Rosa, CA.

San Diego Family Justice Center, the most comprehensive "one stop shop" in the nation for victims of family violence and their children. Victims of domestic violence in the City of San Diego can now come to one location to talk to an advocate, get a restraining order, plan for their safety, talk to a police officer, meet with a prosecutor, receive medical assistance, counsel with a chaplain, get help with transportation, and obtain nutrition or pregnancy services counseling, San Diego, CA.

Sexual Violence Legal News Online, The Center for Law and Social Responsibility at the New England School of Law, includes a searchable database with cases on sexual violence and the ability to subscribe to online updates, Boston, MA.

Tribal Law Info – general information on domestic violence on tribal land, information on tribal protection orders, and links to other online resources for domestic violence on tribal land, Women’sLaw.org.

Tribal Protection Orders, Tribal Law and Policy Institute – designed to provide both tribal and non-tribal entities with a clearinghouse of information and resources pertaining to the issuance and enforcement of protection orders, West Hollywood, CA.

Victim Rights Law Center, Français, Español, and Créole – provides sexual assault victims with free legal help. Our mission is to give sexual assault victims the legal information they need to reclaim their lives and to become survivors, Boston, MA.

Women's Justice Center (English/Español site) - provides advocacy, free of charge, for victims of rape, domestic violence, and child abuse, particularly in the Latina and other under served communities of Sonoma County; provides advocacy training and community education; coordinates the Task Force on Women in Policing with the goal of increasing the number of women and minorities in our law enforcement agencies; and is committed to equal justice for all women and girls, Santa Rosa, CA.

Women’sLaw.org – the mission is to is to provide easy-to-understand legal information and resources to women living with or escaping domestic violence. By reaching out through the Internet, we empower women and girls to lead independent and productive lives, free from abuse.

Women's Law Initiative – provides easy-to-understand legal information to women living with or escaping domestic violence, Brooklyn, NY.

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