The Protective Order Pro Bono Project: Direct Legal Assistance in Marion County
Obtaining a protective order is often a necessary step for victims to break free from domestic violence. The civil process can be very scary and difficult for anyone—much less someone who is opposing someone in court who has possibly hurt them. To address this barrier, the Protective Order Pro Bono Project (POPBP) was founded in 2001 and is now a project of the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
The POPBP provides pro bono legal assistance to indigent victims of domestic and intimate partner violence in Marion County as they seek to obtain and enforce the orders for protection designed by Indiana law to protect them. Working closely with the Indiana University School of Law at Indianapolis, the POPBP recruits and trains lawyers and law students willing to donate their time to victims of abuse.
The project is a WIN-WIN-WIN.
- WIN FOR VICTIMS! Victims are assigned a fully trained, free attorney for their civil protective order case—very often the difference between getting out of an abusive relationship and staying out.
- WIN FOR ATTORNEYS! The POPBP is a wonderful pro bono opportunity for practicing attorneys in any field—because they are fully trained in this area before working with their assigned client. PLUS, the trainings given offer FREE CLE for volunteering to take just one case.
- WIN FOR LAW STUDENTS! Law students gain pro bono credit hours while getting invaluable mentoring and courtroom experience helping survivors.
For more information or to volunteer for the project, contact Legal Director Kerry Hyatt Blomquist at kblomquist@icadvinc.org and stay tuned to this webpage for information about upcoming trainings!
