November 01, 2010
Tania Tetlow, director of the Tulane Law School Domestic Violence Clinic (DVC) and the Felder-Fayard Associate Professor of Law, joined Mayor Mitch Landrieu at the White House on Wednesday (Oct. 27) for a press conference on domestic violence policy. While in DC, Professor Tetlow had the opportunity to meet President Obama and Vice-President Biden as they commemorated Domestic Violence Awareness Month with the announcement of new initiatives to thwart domestic violence.
Among the initiatives announced was the launch of “Access to Justice for Domestic Violence Victims,” a pilot project designed to encourage pro bono work on behalf of domestic violence survivors. New Orleans and Baltimore have been chosen as the first two cities to conduct the program, which is being administered by the Department of Justice.
“Domestic violence survivors often find themselves without any access to lawyers to help them legally untangle themselves from violent relationships,” says Tetlow. “This program asks [law] firms to fund a stint for an incoming associate at legal aid, doing domestic violence work, using a law school clinic to help ensure that the experience provides meaningful litigation training that benefits the firm. Law firms are more likely to make the generous commitment of lending an associate to a legal services office if that young lawyer returns with valuable litigation skills.”
Also present for the announcement were Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President and Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls, and former NY Yankees and LA Dodgers baseball manager Joe Torre, founder of the Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation.
“We are thrilled to be part of the new White House effort to encourage pro bono work on behalf of domestic violence survivors, and to partner with Adams and Reese,” exclaims Tetlow. “Both President Obama and Vice-President Biden (who authored the Violence Against Women Act as a Senator) expressed their commitment to increasing pro bono services so desperately needed to help women legally untangle themselves from violent relationships.”
A copy of the press release fact sheet is available here.
For more, see http://www.neworleans.com/news/local-news/524515.html and http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2010/10/landrieu_attends_white_house_c.html.