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Victim Rights Law Center
Leading a New Response to Sexual Violence
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| VRLC Updates |
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VRLC attorneys Eleni Kalmoukos and Nency Salmon with Suffolk University Law Schools's Associate Dean and VRLC Board Member Ilene Seidman at a Suffolk Law Volunteer fair speaking with pro bono attorneys and law students.
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VRLC lawyers are dedicated to representing sexual assault survivors in the areas of privacy, safety, education, immigration, housing, employment, and financial stability in Massachusetts and Oregon. Our staff attorneys are able to help an exponential number of survivors thanks to the support of pro bono lawyers!
Local Law Firms Supporting Our Lawyers: Thank you to
WilmerHale,
who recently hosted a volunteer attorney training for the VRLC in Boston! Thank you to
Jackson Lewis, P.C., who provided an engaging training to VRLC staff attorneys on recent employment law updates in Massachusetts. And a special thank you to
Prince Lobel for facilitating a discussion with our Boston staff
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attorneys on strategies of a civil lawsuit.
Thank you to the legal community for believing in survivors and helping the VRLC lead a new response to sexual violence!
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| Campus Sexual Assault Update |
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VRLC Deputy Director Lindy Aldrich and trainer Jeremy Inabinet at our conference in Springfield, MA.
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Access to education is a priority for many VRLC clients, especially because the majority of sexual assault victims are under 24 years old. Our attorneys represent survivors in campus disciplinary hearings and negotiate with their schools to keep them safe on campus. What we learn from representing survivors we use as a foundation to train others on how to improve the response to sexual violence.
November 2-3, the VRLC hosted a conference, "Gender-Based Misconduct from Policies to Resolution", in
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| Springfield, MA. It was attended by 40 campus administrators, and covered a variety of topics, such as approaching campus sexual assault with a clear understanding of trauma and analyzing various components of campus sexual assault investigations throughout the disciplinary process. One participant stated "I'm so glad I flew in for this conference. The presenters were very knowledgeable, and I feel like I have real tools to bring back to my school."
Following the conference, VRLC attorneys were in Washington, D.C. on two occasions: participating in a campus sexual assault roundtable discussion, and presenting at the Clery Center for Security Campus's 25th anniversary conference.
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| Partnerships |
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Other recent trainings by VRLC attorneys include: the SAFEPLAN advocate certification program in Worcester, MA; a training for sexual assault advocates at Reed College in Portland, Oregon; and a presentation in Idaho at their annual statewide conference on both survivors' privacy rights and serving sexual assault survivors experiencing homelessness.
Visitors: Two attorneys from the Alaska Network Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault visited our
Portland, OR office in late September. It was a great opportunity to discuss best practices in providing legal services for survivors.
New Partnerships: the VRLC is excited to launch new partnerships with
Intel and
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP to promote pro bono opportunities on behalf of sexual assault survivors.
Outreach: The VRLC participated in both the Suffolk University Law School Pro Bono Fair and at the Oregon State Bar's Annual Pro Bono Fair, where we had tables and shared information with lawyers and law students interested in volunteering. The VRLC also participated in Voces de la Comunidad, a conference on domestic violence and sexual assault in the Latino Community in Oregon and a discussion on Multnomah County's Community Response to SAFE Kit processing and notification.
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| VRLC in the Media |
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| VRLC Deputy Director Lindy Aldrich filming a video in collaboration with the Clery Center for Security on Campus. |
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VRLC Senior Legal Counsel Colby Bruno was featured on WBUR in response to a Association of American Universities study; a Huffington Post video an investigation into sexual misconduct in law enforcement; a NECN video on an offender travelling overseas while on probation,;and in the Detroit Metro Times on sexual assault in K-12. |
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| Meet a VRLC Attorney! |
Stephanie Friends Holt, Esq. began working with the VRLC in 2013 as a volunteer attorney. Thanks to a new Victims of Crime Act grant through the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance, Stephanie was hired as a VRLC staff attorney representing rape and sexual assault victims throughout Massachusetts on issues concerning privacy and safety in July. She has a B.A. and a B.S. from Virginia Tech as well as a J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law. Just prior to joining the VRLC, Stephanie lived in Saudi Arabia.
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FROM A PRO BONO ATOTRNEY
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"I have been privileged to work with VRLC clients on three occasions this year. The experience has indeed been rewarding, both professionally and personally. The clients are strong and brave people who later told me that having a lawyer who believed them and would fight for them in court played an important role in dealing with the horrendous experience of rape. The staff attorneys at the VRLC provided wonderful support, helping me understand the legal issues and develop argument strategy."
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FUNDING UPDATE
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Many Thanks
to the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance for awarding the VRLC a grant to provide emergency legal assistance to sexual assault survivors!
Additional Thanks
Womenade Boston
Anna B. Stearns Foundation
Bennett Family Foundation
Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation
We cannot thank you enough for your support!
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Victim Rights Law Center
Leading a New Response to Sexual Violence
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Boston, MA Office (main):
115 Broad Street, 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02110
Phone: (617) 399-6720
Fax: (617) 399-6722
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Portland, OR Office:
520 SW Yamhill, Suite 200
Portland, OR 97204
Phone: (503) 274-5477
Fax: (503) 295-6679
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