Attorney Training And CLE Opportunity Announced: Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence Satellite Attorney Recruitment & Training Program

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana will sponsor a virtual training session for attorneys on modest means/pro bono representation of victims of domestic violence in Indiana. The training will take place on Tuesday, July 13, 2022, at 10:00am EST/ 9:00am CST in the Jury Assembly Room of the Birch Bayh Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse, 46 E. Ohio St., Indianapolis, Indiana. A Zoom option will be available to those who are unable to travel to the Courthouse. The session will last 1.5 hours.

In 1994, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act (“VAWA”). This Act, and the 1996 additions to the Act, recognize that domestic violence is a national crime and that federal laws can also help an overburdened state and local criminal justice system. The goal of the training program is to increase attorney awareness and participation in the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s (ICADV) Satellite Attorney Program, which provides representation to victims of domestic violence. Attorneys will gain the knowledge needed to provide civil legal assistance to survivors of domestic violence for a modest means hourly rate. The training will be provided by ICADV’s legal counsel, Kerry Hyatt Bennett, JD. Opening remarks will be given by the Honorable Tanya Walton Pratt, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.

The court’s participation in this training event results from the 2018 passage of the POWER Act, a federal law that requires District Courts to participate in one event each year that promotes “pro bono legal services as a critical way in which to empower survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and engaging citizens in assisting those survivors.” The court is happy to partner with ICADV to support this important effort.

Attendance for this event is limited to practicing attorneys in the State of Indiana. There is no cost to attend the training and 1.5 hours of Continuing Legal Education credit has been approved.

Registration is required for this event and space is limited. Please RSVP by Friday, July 8, by sending an email to [email protected]. For more information, please contact Mary Giorgio at [email protected].