This year’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month kept Atlanta Volunteer Lawyer Foundation’s Safe & Stable Families Team incredibly busy, as they partnered and collaborated with various community organizations to educate the public on the dangers of domestic violence and how to assist survivors.
The Safe & Stable Families Team kicked off Domestic Violence Awareness Month on October 3 with Project Director Jamie Perez guest lecturing on domestic violence at Georgia State Law School’s Family Law class, taught by Kessler & Solomiany Partner Thad Woody.
Next, Jamie, along with Family Law Staff Attorney Nilu Tabari, Project Coordinator Lilli Crowe, and GSU Law Student and AVLF Intern Katie Ehrlich attended the Third Annual Domestic Violence Resource Fair hosted by the Atlanta Municipal Court and Atlanta Victim’s Assistance, where, along with team members from the Atlanta Legal Aid Society’s Family Law Unit, they distributed domestic violence resource information to the community. Later that evening, Jamie participated as a panelist, along with our friends at Partnership Against Domestic Violence, Men Stopping Violence, Fulton County Solicitor General’s Victim Assistance, among other community organizations, at two of Bank of America’s Domestic Violence Task Force events at BOA’s Kennesaw headquarters.
On October 22, Nilu and Jamie attended the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s 2nd Annual “Jazzin’ for GCADV” event at The Solarium in Decatur, where AVLF Family Law Program partner Jonathan Levine received GCADV’s Collaborate Award for his work with survivors of domestic violence.
On October 25, Jamie and Lilli conducted a training for attorneys interested in representing domestic violence survivors in court to obtain 12-Month Protective Orders, hosted by DLA Piper. The same day, Nilu presented on domestic violence at a training hosted by the Atlanta Legal Aid Society.
Throughout the month, the AVLF/PADV Safe Families Office in the Fulton County Courthouse put together goodie bags, the brainchild of PADV Legal Advocate Lorina Lew, which were delivered to their partners in the courthouse for Domestic Violence Awareness Month to thank courthouse staff for their support.
Finally, AVLF is partnering with the Partnership Against Domestic Violence, International Women’s House, and Judicial Correction Services to host the 5th Annual Domestic Violence Candlelight Vigil on Thursday, October 27 at Nelson Mullins, from 6:00-7:30 pm, honoring not only survivors of domestic violence, but also those who have lost their lives to domestic violence. More information on this free event may be found here.
Needless to say, AVLF’s Safe & Stable Families Team worked tirelessly this past month to educate the community on resources to assist survivors of domestic violence and help combat this horrible epidemic in Atlanta. While the fight against domestic violence continues for this team each and every month, it was nice that the month of October was dedicated specifically to this cause, allowing so many community organizations to come together to spread awareness.
Jamie Perez guest lectures at Kessler & Solomiany partner Thad Woody’s GSU Family Law class on October 3.
Jamie Perez and Kessler & Solomiany Partner Thad Woody discuss Jamie’s guest lecture duties before Thad’s GSU Law Family Law class begins on October 3.
Members of the Atlanta Legal Aid Society and AVLF (from left to right: Monica Morris, Ana Stanfield, Laura Holland, Nilu Tabari, Jamie Perez, and Lilli Crowe) provide domestic violence resources to the community at the Third Annual Domestic Violence Resource Fair hosted by the Atlanta Municipal Court and Atlanta Victim’s Assistance on October 6.
Members of the Fulton County Family Violence Task Force, including Partnership Against Domestic Violence’s Samantha Macedo, Fulton County Solicitor General’s Office Director of Victim Assistance, Amanda Planchard, and AVLF’s Jamie Perez, collaborated as panelists at Bank of America’s Domestic Violence Task Force events at BOA’s Kennesaw headquarters on October 6.
Partnership Against Domestic Violence’s Legal Advocate in the AVLF/PADV Safe Families Office, Lorina Lew, created this gem of a poem/rap to show appreciation to Fulton County Courthouse staff members of DV Awareness Month.
The AVLF/PADV Safe Families Office distributed these Domestic Violence Awareness Month bags to Fulton County Courthouse staff to thank them for their support of the SFO.
AVLF staff having fun at the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s 2nd Annual “Jazzin’ for GCADV” event at The Solarium in Decatur on October 22 (from left to right: AVLF’s Jamie Perez, Russell Bandy, Dale Bandy, AVLF DV Attorney Volunteer Nick Panayotopoulos, AVLF’s Nilu Tabari, and GCADV Board Vice President, Katie Bates)
Jamie Perez and Nilu Tabari proudly stand with GCADV’s “Collaborate Award” winner and AVLF Family Law Program partner, Jonathan Levine at GCADV’s 2nd Annual “Jazzin’ for GCADV” event at The Solarium in Decatur on October 22.
AVLF hosted a DV training at DLA Piper on October 25 for attorneys who want to represent survivors of intimate partner violence in their 12-Month Protective Order hearings.
Members of the Atlanta Legal Aid Society and AVLF’s Nilu Tabari collaborated on a domestic violence training on October 25.
AVLF’s Nilu Tabari presented to a packed room of attendees at Atlanta Legal Aid Society’s Domestic Violence training on October 25.
