Our paralegals, associates and partners have worked on a pro bono basis to serve domestic violence victims. They have also given their time to organizations, such as inMotion, which secures pro bono counsel for women victims of domestic violence, and the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Representative Engagements
Helping Abuse Victims in St. Louis
Kate Douglas and Quinn Murphy of our St. Louis office provided legal representation to women in abusive relationships through the St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers Program (VLP). The program is a legal services initiative that addresses the legal needs of lowincome individuals in the St. Louis area. It’s one of the many outreach programs forged by the Legal Services of Eastern Missouri. Since forming a partnership this past summer with Jim Guest, director of the VLP, these associates have taken on cases involving custody, guardianship and protective order pro bono cases.
Kate represented a client seeking a permanent protective order for her and her two adopted sons against her husband. A strong case was made against the husband and his verbal and physical abuse, but, after being granted numerous continuances, the client had a change of heart and decided not to pursue the protective order. Eventually, the case was dismissed.
Quinn handled a custody dispute involving a client, her infant daughter and the daughter’s biological father. Once the client received an ex parte order of protection, the father filed a petition for custody. The client filed a counterclaim and in December obtained sole physical and joint legal custody of the child.
Sonnenschein Attorneys Help Boost National Domestic Violence Hotline
“Break the silence. Make the call.” This is the call to action of the National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH). The NDVH urges those experiencing abuse to call its toll-free number (1-800-799-SAFE) for help, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The NDVH, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, was established to aid victims of domestic violence by providing crisis intervention, referral information and support. Since its inception in 1996, the NDVH has answered more than 1.3 million calls.
As it begins its second decade, the NDVH is working to vastly increase its ability to reach victims, their friends and their families through high-profile partnerships and an expanded fundraising program. However, in order to solicit donations in New York—one of the states with the highest call volume to the hotline—the organization is required to register with the Office of the New York State Attorney General. Additionally, in order to increase its fundraising abilities and to expand on a greater national presence, the NDVH needs to improve its structure. Sonnenschein of counsel Carole Bass is pursuing her interest in women’s issues and in aiding victims of domestic violence by assisting the NDVH.
Carole's top two priorities include registering the NDVH with the Office of the New York State Attorney General and creating a much needed planned giving program. Carole is working very closely with the Hotline to document such things as tax issues, gross revenues and the organization’s 501(c)(3) status and are excited to play a crucial role in an organization that is positively impacting thousands of callers each month.
Carole was motivated to work with the NDVH after hearing one of its callers speak at an event in New York. The survivor told her story about a vicious attack by her husband, who shot and nearly killed her. “Knowing that Sonnenschein is very dedicated to its support of pro bono clients, I wanted to commit to counseling an organization that impacts women so greatly,” says Carole. “It is very rewarding to work with clients that are so enthusiastic and are doing such important work.”
Paralegals, Law Clerk, Summer Associates and Firm Attorneys Helping Victims of Domestic Violence
Now in its fourth year, the New York Office’s collaboration with inMotion—an organization that secures pro bono counsel for women who are victims of domestic violence—is going strong.
Through the partnership with inMotion, Sonnenschein paralegals, summer associates and attorneys take cases ranging from uncontested divorces (which our paralegals and summer associates are trained to handle independently) to Family Court cases seeking protective orders, custody and/or child and spousal support (which our summer associates and full-time associates handle themselves under supervision). Every year, each New York summer associate gets the opportunity to meet with his or her own client, prepare papers, and appear and argue in court with attorney supervision on Family Court matters.
Partners Sandy Hauser and Helise Harrington launched the program in 2003, in order to address important client issues and provide a great experience for firm participants. Sandy notes, “These cases enable our summer associates, associates and paralegals to gain valuable client and courtroom experience and to use their legal skills on behalf of those less fortunate. Both the personal and professional rewards are tremendous.” During 2006, New York summer associates Miles Cowan, Lydia Keaney, Amdie Mengistu, Ya-Wei “Jake” Li and Eric Stieglitz, all had cases of their own.
Jake and Eric handled a child support case with inMotion. Jake and Eric interviewed their client, and prepared evidence for a July hearing date in Family Court. Jake, now a third-year student at Cornell Law School, reported, “I am learning how to work with a client, how to build a case from scratch, and mainly how when I work independently the case comes to fruition.” Eric, a student at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, added, “Usually in law school we’re given information about a case to solve which is basically handed to you on a silver platter. There is a certain fact pattern and you just have to solve it. In our inMotion case, our client is a real person with complex needs, and you have to discover for yourself the issues and the end result.”
Paralegals were integrally involved in these matters, having both worked independently and with attorneys. Nancy Tavarez jumped at the chance to have become involved. She says, “I am so interested in family law and when I interview clients and see their kids’ faces, I just get so much joy from it.” Nancy helped out on multiple pro bono cases at inMotion, and at the Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Brooklyn Bar Association, for more than a year. For the Volunteer Lawyers Project, Nancy traveled to the Brooklyn Bar Association to meet with women who were in desperate situations and in need of legal advice. She assisted families in completing the pro se filings for uncontested divorces. Several other New York paralegals, including Alexandra Janvier and Charlene Fyall, also have participated and learned to prepare papers independently, working with a client and inMotion staff.
Not only are our clients usually plagued with domestic abuse and financial troubles, but many are hindered by the inability to speak English. Since many of these clients speak Spanish, Nancy speaks in their native language to put them at ease. “I love speaking Spanish, and I can’t wait to talk to them! Besides, I think they are able to explain themselves better, so we can be more accurate in filling out their applications.”
Over the past four years, more than 60 firm lawyers, summer associates and paralegals have participated in this program. This amazing commitment was recognized by inMotion in November 2004, when Sandy was presented with its “Commitment to Justice” Award.
