PWJC marks domestic violence awareness month and celebrates the 20th anniversary of the family court legal program
THE PACE WOMEN’S JUSTICE CENTER MARKS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH AND CELEBRATES THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FAMILY COURT LEGAL PROGRAM
Milestone events will be marked at PWJC’s annual Celebrating Justice Benefit Dinner on October 17th honoring Dobkin Family Foundation and Gretchen Flint
WHITE PLAINS, NY – The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University joins the Pace Women’s Justice Center (PWJC) in honoring Professor Gretchen Flint and the Dobkin Family Foundation, and celebrating the 20th anniversary of the PWJC’s Family Court Legal Program. PWJC serves more than 3,500 clients annually. For over 28 years, PWJC has helped thousands who would otherwise not be able to afford legal representation through its programs. The landmark anniversary of its courthouse-based emergency services will be celebrated at the annual PWJC gala on October 17.
“The Family Court Legal Program is one of our flagship programs,” said PWJC Executive Director Cindy Kanusher. “Our experience with FCLP has taught us that accessibility to legal services is critical for victims of domestic violence. We are thrilled to celebrate 20 years of this critical legal service in Westchester County.”
The Celebrating Justice Benefit dinner will honor the Dobkin Family Foundation, Professor Gretchen Flint and the 20th anniversary of the Family Court Legal Program. The support of the Dobkin Family Foundation has been critical to allowing PWJC to expand their work in Northern Westchester. As the Executive Director of Clinical Education and Programs at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law, Professor Gretchen Flint has worked with PWJC for two decades to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of women and children in Westchester and beyond.
PWJC is the leading civil legal services and training provider addressing domestic violence, sexual assault and elder abuse in Westchester and Putnam counties, providing free legal counsel to victims. The Family Court Legal Program was the first program run by the PWJC and provides legal services to domestic violence victims while providing professional legal training to law students on handling domestic violence cases. Since its creation in 1999, the Family Court Legal Program has assisted more than 1,000 victims of domestic violence each year, and provided hundreds of law students with practical hands-on legal experience both in and out of the courtroom. Family Court Legal Program is a collaborative partnership with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, Victims Assistance Services, the Westchester County Office of Child Support Enforcement, the Department of Probation, and family court personnel of Westchester County.
“We are proud that the Women’s Justice Center has been a part of the Pace community for the past 25 years,” said Dean Horace Anderson. “And we are so pleased that one of the honorees at this month’s gala will be Professor Gretchen Flint. As our Executive Director of Clinical Education, she has impacted thousands of our students and prepared them to make a difference in the lives of their clients.”
As previously announced, the PWJC moved to a new state of the art clinic space on the Haub Law campus last year. The new $1.5 million office space was funded by Pace University and private donors including a $100,000 grant from Impact 100 Westchester.
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About Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University
Pace University’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law, (Pace Law) offers J.D. and Masters of Law degrees in both Environmental and International Law, as well as a series of joint degree programs including a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) in Environmental Law. The school, housed on the University’s campus in White Plains, NY, opened its doors in 1976 and has over 8,500 alumni around the world. The school maintains a unique philosophy and approach to legal education that strikes an important balance between practice and theory. For more information visit http://law.pace.edu
About the Pace Women’s Justice Center
The Pace Women’s Justice Center (PWJC) is a self-funded nonprofit legal center located at Elisabeth Haub School of Law, under the 501(c)(3) status of Pace University. Each year, PWJC provides free legal services to over 3,500 victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse, as well as conducts or participates in over 140 training and outreach events. Serving Westchester and Putnam Counties, PWJC’s mission is to pursue justice for victims and prevent abuse through quality legal services, community partnerships, education, and awareness. With an experienced staff and a team of dedicated volunteers, including attorneys, other professionals, and students, PWJC has built an effective, coordinated community response to interpersonal violence.
(For more information: www.law.pace.edu/wjc)
