Battered Womens Legal Advocacy Project

Programs: A grant from the minnesota department of public safety funds bwlap for the following activities:1) legal advocacy/legal resources - bwlap provided legal advice, technical assistance & in some cases legal representation to 1832 individuals. Topics of concern have been orders for protection, divorce, custody, parenting time, immigration, identity theft, housing, etc. We provided technical assistance & referrals to advocates in 940 cases, to battered women in 697 cases, the rest were consultations received by attorneys working with victims of domestic violence. Less than half of those consultations were provided from the metro area & the rest mainly from rural mn. During the year we worked with victims of crimes seeking relief from the u. S. Citizenship & immigration services. 2) systems change bwlap is frequently seeking ways to improve the legal systems response to battered women, whether through the passage of new legislation, or the enforcement of current laws. Activities are aimed at reducing barriers, eliminating discrimination & creating long-term systems of change. Specific activities targeted at systems of change include:a) be available for consultation to the mbcw & other statewide agencies on legal advocacy, trainings, response to public policy, & other issues. B) work with amicus briefs on battered women appeal cases that have a statewide impact. C) participate in committees & meetings with attorneys & other legal system professionals. Bwlap brought an advocacy perspective to these entities & increased the understanding & support for battered women & children from diverse cultures. D) work with local law schools to recruit law students, in particular women of color & native women interns to work with the agency in order to provide these students exposure to the legal issues faced by battered women & their children. 3) professional training bwlap provides expert training on all aspects of domestic violence-related law in mn. Specific training initiatives include:a) provide trainings & presentations to attorneys, advocates, & other service providers on domestic violence & legal remedies for victims. Bwlap maintains a cultural approach to social topics related to victims of domestic violence in all its trainings & conferences. B) work with the immigrant & refugee battered women's task force, women of color committees & other initiatives aimed to increase training, knowledge, & leadership support to women of color & native legal advocates. C) provide the annual 2-day new laws training in 6 different locations throughout mn. This training is aimed at advocates, attorneys & other service providers working with battered women & children.

the bremer foundation funds the core services of bwlap, which are:1) advocate for system change, through appeals of wrongful court decisions & legislative change to defend & advance the rights of battered women & children. Bwlap has a long & successful history of taking on impact litigation to make sure that no wrong court decision would create a precedent that could negatively impact future decisions involving victims of domestic violence. 2) advocate securing access to justice through our toll free action line by which no consultation remains unanswered. 3) advocate improving the legal systems response to battered women & children through training, educational materials & the promotion of best practices among those working in the field of domestic violence.