November 2009 (Downloadable PDF)

The Legal Project

Pro Bono Corner
Lisa A. Frisch, Executive Director

National Domestic Violence Month Brought Much Attention to Intimate Partner Violence

October is not only Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but it also sheds light on another problem that has a terrible impact—primarily on women in our society—domestic violence. There were numerous activities highlighting Domestic Violence Month in the Capital District and across the state. The New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence promoted that individuals, businesses and homes “Go Purple” by hanging ribbons, wearing purple clothing and using purple lights.

Our own home base, Stuyvesant Plaza, went purple, too and also allowed The Legal Project to decorate the empty Lindt Chocolates storefront with domestic violence awareness materials and Legal Project information—thank you, Stuyvesant Plaza for your sensitivity about this critical issue!

At left: the storefront which helped inform the many people who frequent the Plaza.

Report Shows Major Rise in Domestic Violence Murders

Some other noteworthy findings from the report:

• While women represented less than 10% of the non-domestic homicide victims statewide in 2008, they accounted for almost 75% of the victims in intimate partner killings.
  
• Females in NYC accounted for 52% of the domestic homicide victims, while in the rest of the state, the percentage was nearly 71%.
  
• The vast majority of intimate partner killings—56%— involved knives, weapons that cut, or blunt objects. Less than 25% involved guns.
  
• One small piece of good news—there was more than a 30% drop in the numbers of domestic violence killings of children.

According to Amy Barasch, Executive Director of the NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, homicides are only the tip of the iceburg, with domestic assaults representing the majority of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). It is important to acknowledge that abuse impacts same gender partners as well, and the impacts and risks are similar in LGBT relationships. Men are also victimized, but the risks are far lower than the risks and impacts of violence against women. According to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics in their September 2009 Report Female Victims of Violence, the rate of IPV for women was 4.3 victimizations per 1,000 females age 12 or older, while the rate of IPV against male victims was 0.8 victimization per 1000 males age 12 or older. About 99% of IPV against women in 2008 was committed by males. Women are nearly always killed by someone they know—only 10% of female homicide victims were killed by a stranger last year.

All of this reflects on the extreme importance of the work that we do to provide civil legal assistance to victims of abuse, and the need to coordinate with domestic violence advocates in our community to best ensure a consistent and safer system’s response. A special thank you to our pro bono attorneys who represent victims of domestic violence, including our own staff who work tirelessly to provide the best services possible to our clients. If you are interested in helping represent victims of abuse, contact Susan Pattenaude regarding our upcoming CLE on representing victims of domestic violence in Family Court to be held on 12/4/09. She can be reached at spattenaude@legalproject.org.

CLE Training

NYSBA, Legal Aid Society of Northeastern NY and the Albany County Bar Association cosponsored two CLE trainings in September, one on Wills and Estates, with presenters Anne Reynolds Copps, Margaret Reed and Dr. John Balint of Albany Medical College and one on Bankruptcy, with Judge Littlefield, Cynthia Platt, Michael O’Connor, Marc Ehrich and Tony Arcodia. We’ve expanded our pro bono attorneys for both important programs, thank you!

Thanks again to the NY Bar Foundation!

Cris Cioffi of the Board of the New York Bar Foundation presents a check for $5000 to Legal Project Board President Michelle Wildgrube for the Joan L. Ellenbogen Memorial Fellowships for matrimonial matters by the New York Bar Foundation.

14th Annual Pro Bono Reception

Congratulations again to all of our award winners and thanks to our underwriters, honorary committee members, Steering Committee, auction and raffle donors and all who attended. We very much appreciate being able to hold this event in the beautiful New York State Museum, and the wonderful assistance of M.C. Lydia Kulbida of WTEN and Auctioneer Susan Arbetter of WCNY. In next months issue you will see some great photos of the event!

You can also view or purchase photos by going to: www.joanheffler.com

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Thanks to Tully Rinkey, LLP for Donation
of Times Union Center Box Seats for Cirque du Soleil!

This generous donation of the Tully Rinkey box for a performance of the incredible Cirque du Soleil was not only a nice fundraiser but also a wonderful opportunity for our staff to have a memorable night out! We offered the tickets to staff in exchange for a donation to The Legal Project so we were able to enjoy a fun night out and raise money for our programs at the same time. Thank you very much, Tully Rinkey!

Thank you for volunteering in September!