publication: States News Service

May 8, 2008 Thursday

The following information was released by the American Bar Association: The Avon Foundation has awarded a $55,000 one-year grant to the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence to develop a comprehensive, online, searchable directory of programs providing pro bono legal services to victims of domestic violence throughout the United States. It is the first year that the commission has received Avon Foundation funding to support its work. The "ABA/Avon National Domestic Violence Law Fellowship" will support a full-time legal fellow at the commission to research and compile, for the first time, a comprehensive national database of programs providing pro bono legal services to victims of domestic violence. The online directory will include the types of cases these programs accept - e.g., immigration, housing, protection order, family law; the scope of representation; the frequency and content of trainings for pro bono lawyers; and the on-going supervision and/or support provided to pro bono attorneys. This vital directory will also identify gaps in the provision of pro bono legal services, link existing programs to address these gaps, help identify funding and support for additional programs, and identify opportunities for collaboration among pro bono programs to pool their resources.