Free Legal Clinics
Community & Court-Based Legal Clinics
Access to brief legal advice empowers survivors of domestic and gender-based violence to understand their rights, make informed decisions, and take critical steps toward safety and stability. Volunteer Legal Advocates operates weekly clinics across the District of Columbia and in Maryland. Our priority is reaching people where they live and work, so getting the legal help they need is never an added burden.
You’ll find us in courthouses, libraries, online, and running innovative medical-legal clinics where clients can access legal services while receiving medical care. At each clinic, survivors and caregivers receive free trauma-informed legal consultations, learn about their rights, and connect with resources for housing, employment, and public benefits.
Our clinic offerings continue to expand. In 2024, we launched:
Our first Maryland legal clinic at Rockville Memorial Library, offering free, brief legal advice on protective orders and family law matters each week
Expansions of our medical-legal partnerships, which offer legal consultations where clients are already seeking medical care
The pilot of a clinic at a Domestic Violence shelter where survivors can consult an attorney for their protection order, custody, divorce, or emergency custody needs
Our Annual Impact
IN PRO BONO LEGAL SERVICES
HOURS OF LEGAL ASSISTANCE
LEGAL CONSULTATIONS PROVIDED
*This project is supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-23-GG-00510-LEGA awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Justice.
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If you’re a survivor of domestic abuse or gender-based violence, you’re not alone.