Pro Bono hours available! Earn approx. 16 hours as a Student Advocate for victims of domestic violence but training is required. Get training at Rutgers Law School this Friday (9/23), provided by the Courtroom Advocates Project. Learn more.

Courtroom Advocacy Project – Training this Friday at Rutgers The Courtroom Advocates Project (CAP) is a unique program that trains law students to advocate for victims of domestic violence who seek Orders of Protection against their abusers in family court in NYC.

Date: Friday, September 23, 2016 at 3:00 p.m.
Location: Rutgers Law School, 123 Washington Street, Newark, NJ, Room 20
Contact: Alvina Swati - [email protected]

To sign up, attend the training and then complete the Pro Bono Service Commitment Form at law.shu.edu/ProBonoCommitment.

What is the Courtroom Advocacy Project?

The Courtroom Advocates Project (CAP) is a unique program that trains law students to advocate for victims of domestic violence who seek Orders of Protection against their abusers in family court.

Student advocates staff a Petitioners Assistance Table, where they interview domestic violence victims and help them draft their petitions. The students then accompany and advocate for the petitioners when they appear before family court judges. The student advocates also accompany petitioners to court on their adjourn dates and assist them with their cases as they move forward. Additionally, the students provide victims with safety planning and referrals to community resources such as shelters and counseling.

The average time commitment is usually around 16 hours and count towards your pro bono requirement. (Four hours of training, a full day in court when you first work with your petitioner and a half day in court for an adjourn date.)