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Links & Referrals
Pro Bono Legal Clinics
Arizona - Crime Victims Legal Assistance Project
Funded by a subgrant from the National Crime Victim Law Institute with funding from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, the Arizona Clinic provides pro bono legal representation and social services to victims of crimes in tribal, state, and federal proceedings. In June 2008 the Clinic had over 50 victim-clients who have been victimized by crimes including homicide, sexual assault, assault, and harassment. In addition, the Clinic serves as an important resource to victims, social services providers, courts, and criminal justice professionals in the Arizona and the entire federal Ninth Circuit. In addition the Clinic trains lawyers, judges, victim advocates and law students on victims’ rights law and social service issues.
Colorado - Colorado Crime Victims Legal Clinic
Funded by a subgrant from the National Crime Victim Law Institute with funding from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance, Colorado Crime Victims Legal Clinic (CCVLC) will provide pro bono legal representation to victims of crime beginning in the winter of 2008. CCVLC will represent victims of crime in tribal, state, and federal proceedings to ensure that victims of crime are afforded their constitutional and statutory rights under Colorado and federal law. As part of a statewide membership organization of entities providing services to victims throughout the state, CCVLC is integrated into Colorado’s network of victim advocacy organizations and criminal justice agencies. As a result, CCVLC will be an important and accessible resource for victims of crime, professionals and communities statewide. In addition to providing legal services and resources and referrals to victims of crime, the Clinic will train attorneys (and other victim serving professionals), statewide, as to the provision of legal services to crime victims to ensure that crime victims across the state have access to legal representation to enforce their rights in the criminal justice system.
Idaho - Victims’ Rights Clinic at the University of Idaho
Funded by a subgrant from the National Crime Victim Law Institute with funding from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, the University of Idaho Victims’ Rights Clinic provides pro bono legal representation to victims of burglary, arson, assault and battery, murder and rape crimes in tribal, state, and federal proceedings and serves as an important resource to victims, social services providers, courts, and criminal justice professionals in the Northwestern Idaho area. In addition the Clinic trains students on how to represent victims under the supervision of an attorney.
Maryland - Crime Victim Law Clinic
Funded by a subgrant from the National Crime Victim Law Institute with funding from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, the Maryland Crime Victims’ Resource Center, Inc. (Maryland/Fourth Circuit Clinic) provides pro bono legal representation, including serving as guardian ad litem, to victims of all crimes in tribal, state, and federal proceedings and serves as an important resource to victims, social services providers, courts, and criminal justice professionals in the following jurisdictions: 1. State of Maryland; 2. Federal Districts of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, which are each part of the Federal Fourth Circuit; and 3. under other funding – Federal crimes of Fraud/Identity Theft in any federal court nationwide. In addition the Clinic provides training on crime victims’ rights to victims and criminal justice professionals and participants.
New Jersey - New Jersey Crime Victims’ Legal Advocacy Program
unded by a subgrant from the National Crime Victim Law Institute with funding from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, the New Jersey Crime Victims’ Law Center (NJCVLC) provides pro bono legal representation to all victims of violent crimes in state, and federal proceedings and serves as an important resource to victims, social services providers, courts, and criminal justice professionals in each of the 21 counties throughout the State of New Jersey. The Clinic trains lawyers, advocates and service providers on issues of victims’ rights at trainings sponsored by NJCVLC and other organizations requesting our presence. In addition, in furtherance of our goal to educate the legal and victims’ rights community we publish and distribute nationally the victims’ rights magazine Victim Voice, and we have established the New Jersey Crime Victim Bar Association. As part of our service to our members which now exceed 350, we send out victims’ rights information news updates several times each week in order to in order to keep this educational/informational component in the forefront.
New Mexico - Victims Rights Legal Assistance
Funded by a subgrant from the National Crime Victim Law Institute with funding from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, the New Mexico Clinic provides pro bono legal representation to crime victims of certain enumerated crimes in tribal, state, and federal proceedings and serves as an important resource to victims, social services providers, courts, and criminal justice professionals in the Statewide area. In addition, the Clinic trains Community Advocates, prosecutors and law enforcement on their responsibilities pursuant to the New Mexico Constitution and the enabling legislation.
South Carolina - Crime Victim Legal Network
Funded by a subgrant from the National Crime Victim Law Institute with funding from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, the South Carolina Crime Victim Legal Network provides pro bono legal representation to victims of all crimes in tribal, state, and federal proceedings and serves as an important resource to victims, social services providers, courts, and criminal justice professionals in North and South Carolina. In addition the Clinic trains crime victims, victim advocates, attorneys, judges, other related criminal justice professionals, social service providers, and the general public about victims’ rights and legal remedies for the enforcement of victims’ rights.
Utah - Crime Victim’s Legal Clinic
Funded by a subgrant from the National Crime Victim Law Institute with funding from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, the Utah Crime Victims Legal Clinic provides pro bono legal representation to crime victims throughout the State of Utah; the Clinic serves victims of all violent and property crimes in tribal, state district and juvenile courts, and federal proceedings. The Utah Legal Clinic assists clients in understanding, exercising and enforcing their constitutional, statutory and procedural rights and serves as an important resource to victims, social services providers, courts, and criminal justice professionals in the victims’ rights arena. In addition, the Clinic trains criminal justice, mental health and health professionals on victims’ rights including working with and effectively advocating for victims of crime.
Oklahoma - Native American Victims Rights Clinic at the Oklahoma City University School of Law, a partnership of the Native American Legal Resource Center and the Southwest Center for Law and Policy
Funded by a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, The Southwest Center for Law and Policy and Oklahoma City University School of Law's Native American Legal Resource Center partnered to form the Native American Victim Rights Law Clinic. The Clinic provides pro bono legal representation to Native American victims of felony and violent crimes in tribal, state, federal, and CFR criminal proceedings and serves as an important resource to victims, social services providers, courts, and criminal justice professionals in the Oklahoma City area. In addition to training law students to represent victims, the Clinic also trains victim advocates and lay legal advocates to represent victims in tribal courts throughout the state of Oklahoma. |top|
The National Crime Victim Bar Association
The National Crime Victim Bar Association provides technical support to attorneys representing crime victims in civil suits, refers crime victims to lawyers in their local area, and works to increase general awareness about the availability of civil remedies for victims of crime.|top|
American Bar Association’s Center on Children and the Law
Founded in 1978, the Center is a full-service technical assistance,training, and research program addressing a broad spectrum of law and court-related topics affecting children. These include child abuse and neglect, adoption, adolescent health, foster and kinship care, custody and support, guardianship, missing and exploited children, and children's exposure to domestic violence. The Center’s website contains educational information and links to numerous children’s law centers, law school programs, and statewide legal advocacy/support programs.
Klaas Kids Foundation
The Klaas Kids Foundation was established in 1994 following the death of twelve-year-old Polly Hannah Klaas. The Foundation’s mission is to stop crimes against children. The Foundation’s website contains links to each state’s “Megan’s Law” – a law that requires sex offender registration and community notification, and educational information regarding child safety and missing children. |top| National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards
Compensation is money paid from the government to a crime victim to reimburse the victim for certain losses incurred as a result of the crime. Founded in 1977, the National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards (NACVCB) promotes an exchange of information and ideas through a nationwide network of victim compensation programs. NACVCB’s website provides links to the compensation programs in each state.|top|
Family Violence Prevention Fund
The Family Violence Prevention Fund (FVPF) works to prevent violence within the home, and in the community, to help those whose lives are devastated by violence. FVPF works to end violence against women and children around the world. FVPF’s website contains educational information and links to other resources.
Legal Momentum
Legal Momentum (formerly National Organization for Women Legal Defense & Education Fund) strives to achieve equality and improve the lives of women and girls by using the power of the law and creating innovative public policy. Legal Momentum’s website contains educational information on a number of topics that effect women and girls, including violence against women, education and immigration.
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) works for major societal changes necessary to eliminate both personal and societal violence against all women and children. NCADV’s website includes summaries of steps to create a safety plan and improve internet safety.|top|
MADD
With more than 600 chapters nationwide, MADD's mission is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime, and prevent underage drinking. The MADD website provides information about local chapters, educational material about drunk driving and its prevention, links to its educational programs, and information about projects such as its court monitoring imitative. |top|
The National Center on Elder Abuse
The National Center on Elder Abuse is a national resource for elder rights, law enforcement and legal professionals, public policy leaders, researchers, and the public. The Center provides referrals to persons who provide direct services. The Center’s website contains links to other organizations that advocate for the elderly, and it provides links to toll-free reporting lines to report elder abuse.|top|
Attorneys General
Known by a variety of names such as Victim/Witness Assistance, Crime Victim Advocacy, or Victim Services, many State Attorneys General have departments devoted to assisting victims of crime. In some states, this department is a resource geared toward assisting and educating all victims of crime. In other states, the services are limited to victims of violent crime or those victims associated with criminal cases directly involving the Attorney General’s office. The attached PDF lists the state Attorneys General Offices for all 50 states with links to the victim services aspect of their office.
National Center for Victims of Crime
The National Center for Victims of Crime (NCVC), founded in 1985, is a resource and advocacy organization for crime victims. NCVC’s mission is to forge a national commitment to help victims of crime rebuild their lives. NCVC’s website contains numerous resources and links to its Stalking Resource Center, Teen Victim, and Resilience Projects, and Dating Violence Resource Center.
NCVC has created VictimLaw, a comprehensive, user-friendly, on-line database of victims' rights statutes, tribal laws, constitutional amendments, court rules, administrative code provisions, and case summaries of related court decisions that meets the needs of a wide variety of users with different levels of substantive and technological expertise. Such ready access to information can advance the cause of crime victims' rights by facilitating the exercise, implementation, and enforcement of those rights. Visit www.VictimLaw.info for more information.
National Organization for Victim Assistance
The National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA), a victim's rights advocacy and emergency counseling organization, is a pioneer in the field of victim-assistance. NOVA’s website includes educational materials, including information on how a crime victim can receive help, victims with disabilities, elderly victims, and links to other victim service organizations and agencies.
National Victims' Constitutional Amendment Project
National Victims' Constitutional Amendment Project (NVCAP) is an organization supporting the adoption of, and working to pass, an amendment to the United States Constitution that recognizes the fundamental rights of crime victims to be treated with dignity, fairness, and respect by the criminal justice system. NVCAP is the sister organization to the National Victims' Constitutional Amendment Network. NVCAP’s website provides information about the efforts to pass a constitutional amendment.
Office for Victims of Crime
The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) was established by the 1984 Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) to oversee diverse programs that benefit victims of crime. The mission of OVC is to enhance the Nation’s capacity to assist crime victims and to provide leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and practices to promote justice and healing for all victims. OVC’s website provides educational and victim services resources on a wide variety of victim topics. The website also contains links to numerous OVC publications.
Office of the Victims' Rights Ombudsman
A crime victim may file a complaint against any employee of the Department of Justice who violated or failed to provide the rights established under the Crime Victims' Rights Act of 2004.|top|
Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center is a nonprofit organization founded in 1971 as a small civil rights law firm. The Center's legal department fights all forms of discrimination through legal action. The Center supports the Strategic Litigation Grant Project, which provides monetary grants to help attorneys bring civil rights and other important cases that otherwise might not move forward. The Center’s website provides educational information about how to fight discrimination as well as information about recent civil rights suits.
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign’s website contains a list of participating programs within the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, a group of organizations that document hate crimes based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or HIV status. They also provide victim assistance and work to end such crimes in their communities. |top|
Federal Trade Commission I.D. Theft
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) I.D. Theft Website is a resource to learn about the crime of identity theft. The website provides detailed information to help protect against identity theft, and the steps to take if it occurs. The FTC’s website contains a comprehensive reference center with links to specific laws, contact information, and resources from state and federal government agencies.
Identity Theft Resource Center
Founded in 1999, the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) is national nonprofit organization that focuses exclusively on identity theft. ITRC's mission is to research, analyze and distribute information about the growing crime of identity theft. The ITRC serves as a resource and advisory center on identity theft, and its website contains information for consumers, victims, law enforcement, the business and financial sectors, legislators, media and governmental agencies. |top|
Parents of Murdered Children (POMC)
Parents of Murdered Children (POMC®) provides ongoing emotional support to help parents and other survivors of homicide facilitate the reconstruction of a "new life" and to promote a healthy resolution. Not only does POMC® help survivors deal with their grief, but also helps with the criminal justice system. There are POMC® Chapters across the country which hold monthly meetings, and provide support, advocacy and court accompaniment. POMC®’s website provides numerous educational and support materials, and contains links to a topic forum that allows survivors to communicate with other survivors.
National Coalition of Homicide Survivors
Founded in 1998, the Mission of National Coalition of Homicide Survivors is to facilitate communication among individuals, professionals and organizations who share an interest in the concerns of homicide survivors. The purpose of the organization is to share information, resources and ideas, and to improve support and victim assistance services to homicide survivors. The Coalition’s website includes links to nationwide victim service agencies, support hotlines, court case updates and much more. |top|
Sacred Circle: National Resource Center to End Violence Against Native Women
Operated by Cangleska, Inc., Sacred Circle aids tribes and tribal organizations to stop violence against Native women. Sacred Circle addresses violence against Native women in the context of the unique historical, jurisdictional, and cultural issues that American Indian/Alaska Native Nations face. The primary audience of Sacred Circle includes more than 500 federally recognized American Indian/Alaska native nations in the United States. Its focus is directed toward professional providers serving these communities, including tribal law enforcement personnel (judges, prosecutors and court workers), probation officers, shelter advocates, and batterer intervention providers. Sacred Circle’s website identifies its scheduled trainings and provides links to numerous other advocacy organizations and training opportunities.
Tribal Law and Policy Institute
The Tribal Law and Policy Institute is a Native American owned and operated non-profit corporation organized to design and deliver education, research, training, and technical assistance programs which promote the enhancement of justice in Indian country and the health, well-being, and culture of Native peoples. The Institute’s website provides a description of its training and technical assistance programs, legal advocacy programs, and educational programs. The website also contains links to other Native American advocacy and services organizations, federal governmental agencies, and resources. |top|
It Happened to Alexa Foundation
The "It Happened to Alexa Foundation" is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization that provides substantial support to survivors who testify against their sexual attackers, and thus encourages them to pursue justice. This organization was founded by the parents of a survivor and gives up to $3,000 to family members and support persons of survivors so that they may attend and support a survivor during their testimony.
National Sexual Violence Resource Center
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) is a comprehensive collection and distribution center for information, research and emerging policy on sexual violence intervention and prevention. NSVRC’s website provides an extensive on-line library and customized technical assistance, as well as, coordinates National Sexual Assault Awareness Month initiatives.
Security on Campus
Security on Campus is a nonprofit organization that educates about the prevalence of crime on our nation's college and university campuses; assists victims and their families with guidance pertaining to laws, victims’ organizations, legal counsel, and access to files; fosters security improvements through campus community initiatives, and provides procedures and programs to reduce alcohol and drug abuse. Security on Campus’s website contains resources for parents, students, victims, schools, lawyers, reporters, and lawmakers. The website also includes links to videos and other educational materials.
Sexual Assault and Dual Coalitions
Coalitions against sexual assault and domestic violence exist in many states in the country. These coalitions provide assistance to sexual assault and domestic violence victims by providing or connecting victims to crisis intervention, counseling and advocacy. In addition, these organizations work on public policy, education and training to help prevent sexual and domestic violence. Each coalition’s website provides educational and resource information for the particular state.|top|
Stalking Resource Center
The Stalking Resource Center is a program of the National Center for Victims of Crime. The Center’s dual mission is to raise national awareness of stalking and to encourage the development and implementation of multidisciplinary responses to stalking in local communities across the country. The Center’s website provides statistics, educational materials, links to resources, and a toll-free victim assistance number.|top|
Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking
The Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST) is an alliance of nonprofit service providers, grassroots advocacy groups and activists dedicated to providing human services and human rights advocacy to victims of modern-day slavery. Founded in 1998, CAST’s mission is to assist persons trafficked for the purpose of forced labor and slavery-like practices and to work toward ending all instances of such human rights violations. CAST’s website has descriptions of its social, legal, and training & advocacy services. The website also contains educational materials and links to news articles.|top|
Note: NCVLI does not endorse, have any responsibility for, or exercise control over these organizations’ or agencies’ views, services, or information.
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