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.

The Center for Survivor Agency and Justice – seeks to facilitate the critical work that attorneys and advocates perform on behalf of survivors. Our goal is to enhance the capacity of attorneys and advocates working with survivors across the nation through partnership and networking, Washington, DC.

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

Domestic Violence Law Search (a database of laws by state), Family Violence Department of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges – 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 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.

Google Scholar (caselaw searches) – has indexed the case law in all 50 states – Court of Appeals and Supreme Court – and the federal courts. You can search by keywords, personal names, inclusive dates, and specify states in a search. Currently, Google Scholar allows you to search and read opinions for US state appellate and supreme court cases since 1950, US federal district, appellate, tax and bankruptcy courts since 1923 and US Supreme Court cases since 1791 (please check back periodically for updates to coverage information). In addition, it includes citations for cases cited by indexed opinions or journal articles which allows you to find influential cases (usually older or international) which are not yet online or publicly available. Legal opinions in Google Scholar are provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied on as a substitute for legal advice from a licensed lawyer. Google does not warrant that the information is complete or accurate. View a list of search results with citations and a 2-line summary of text where some or all of the keywords appear. From here you can select to read an entire case or view case summaries that have cited the selected case. 

Institute for Law and Justice, Domestic Violence – 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 – 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 Resource Center on Violence Against Women – works to improve legal representation for domestic violence survivors. Specifically, the LRC works to obtain legal representation for domestic violence survivors in interstate custody cases and to provide technical assistance to domestic violence victim advocates and attorneys in such cases, Takoma Park, MD.

Legal Resources, powered by Avvo – free legal advice on sexual violence, domestic violence and child custody issues. This includes: 1) free, personalized legal answers & advice, 2) legal articles, and 3) a free lawyer search.

Legal Services Corporation – 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 Protection Orders and Full Faith and Credit – facilitates the 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 –works 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 – provides 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 Domestic Violence Pro Bono Directory, ABA Commission on Domestic Violence – finds pro bono opportunities for lawyers to help in the fight against domestic violence. From filing an order of protection, to doing research for advocacy, to providing legal help to immigrant victims of domestic violence, Washington, DC.

The National LGBT Bar Association – a national association of lawyers, judges and other legal professionals, law students, activists, and affiliates lesbians, gay, bisexual, transgender organizations. The LGBT Bar promotes justice in and through the legal profession for the LGBT community in all its diversity. The LGBT bar aspires to improve the quality of life for LGBT legal practitioners until the time that LGBT legal professionals are recognized without discrimination, stigma or negative bias, Washington, DC.

National Women’s Law Center – works 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 – 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.

Sexual Violence Legal News Online, The Center for Law and Social Responsibility at the New England School of Law – 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 (English, 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) – 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.

WomensLaw.org (English / Español) – the mission 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, Brooklyn, NY.

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