Protecting Survivors and Those Who Serve Them: Best Practices in Domestic Violence Legal Advocacy

Abstract

Domestic violence advocacy serves many purposes, including survivor emotional support, connecting survivors to needed resources, and navigating legal systems. Since 2020, the legal regulatory landscape has been changing dramatically, with some jurisdictions authorizing domestic violence advocates to provide limited-scope legal advice to the survivors they serve. Navigating this change necessitates intentional and critical thinking and decision-making related to many aspects of legal service delivery. This Article summarizes findings from a nationwide study examining best practices in domestic violence legal advocacy from the perspectives of subject matter experts such as attorneys, service supervisors, policy experts, and academics. This Article proposes best practices that can be applied to domestic violence advocacy broadly, as well as best practices for advocates moving into this new regulatory position of legal advice-giving.

Keywords: domestic violence advocacy, domestic violence best practices, unauthorized practice of law reform, access to justice, applied scholarship