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New Victim Clinic Projects
One Federal & Three State Legal Clinics
to Provide Direct Representation
to Victims of Crime
The National Crime Victim Law Institute Announces
Creation of New State and Federal Legal Clinics
on Silver Anniversary of National
Crime Victims’ Rights Week.
This Silver Anniversary of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is an exciting one. In 1981 this country saw the first National Crime Victims' Rights Week. Today, federal funding has enabled the National Crime Victim Law Institute to expand its national system of victims’ rights legal clinics from five clinics just one year ago to nine clinics today.
Currently, 33 states have state constitutional amendments and all states have statutes guaranteeing victims of crime rights in the criminal justice process. In addition, in fall 2004, President Bush signed into law the Justice For All Act, which provides comprehensive rights to victims in federal courts. History has revealed that these crime victims’ rights are not always enforced. Having one’s own attorney in the courtroom can help ensure enforcement. The law clinics established by this project provide pro bono legal services to crime victims as they proceed through the criminal courts.
In coordination with other victims’ rights organizations, NCVLI is launching new legal clinics in Moscow, ID, Sparta NJ, and Salt Lake City, UT. These clinics expand upon the system of legal clinics that currently exist in Tempe, AZ, Sacramento, CA, Upper Marlboro, MD, Albuquerque, NM, and Columbia, SC. In addition, the clinic located in Tempe Arizona will expand its work to include representation of victims in federal court.
This project was supported in part by Grant No. 2002-VF-GX-K004 awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
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