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How You Can Fund Legal Representation for Women in Crisis
Do you like stairs and hate domestic violence? Great news! On the evening of October 6th, you have the opportunity in New York City to climb 42 flights of stairs as a fundraiser for inMotion, which provides free legal services for women, particularly women who are in the process of extricating themselves from abusive relationships. There will be rest areas on these stairs! But don't be too alarmed: you can sign up for 14 floors or even zero floors. Why not register now, as a team member or an individual? WHY NOT, I SAID? Do you want women to be in legal battles with abusers and stalkers over children and property without excellent representation? Do you?
Look, I'm telling ya, she fell down the stairs, OK?
As a public interest attorney I can confirm that this is one of the biggest unmet needs for legal services. It's against ethical rules for an attorney to take a divorce on contingency, meaning if you're a stay at home wife, your wealthy husband serves you with divorce papers, and you can't pay a retainer, you're SOL. Even inMotion is turning away people who've already been served papers.
My first legal job ever was working at the Houston Area Women's Center the first summer of law school. It was hard work, and I loved it. I wasn't a lawyer yet, so all I could do was help women navigate the system. The need for legal help was great, and while we had a cadre of lawyers who were willing to work on a sliding scale, there were never enough.