…our clients and supporters. Additionally, as you’ll read on the blog, the Safe Families Office received a complete technological overhaul that will transform how the walk-in clinic runs. AVLF is not just investing in these upgrades to keep up with the trends of 2017. We are committed to keeping connected with our clients, our donors, and our partners. We want YOU to understand what we do day in and day out. “My promise to you: we won’t peddle con…
…I have to choose one it is probably the day that I walked into the leasing office to assist a client who had been trying for several weeks to recertify her lease but was met with great resistance. We walked out of the leasing office about an hour later with her new lease in hand and a utility check that had been withheld from her. She was so excited! On that day I was reminded that the presence of a lawyer can make such a difference. Christal: The…
…nd we need everyone to end it. But numbers don’t tell the whole story. The Safe Families Office is the only courthouse-based walk-in legal clinic in Georgia where a survivor can obtain assistance from a lawyer to navigate the protective order process, and we have been cited as a national model of excellence by the American Bar Association. We see more than 3000 survivors annually who have been kicked, punched, and threatened. They have been told o…
…Safe Families Office extern, Georgia State College of Law Shelby McKenzie, Safe Families Office extern, Georgia State College of Law Guardian ad Litem Margaret Ruthenberg-Marshall, The Ruthenberg-Marshall Law Firm Natalie Tyler, Naggiar & Sarif LLC Amy Saul, Boyd Collar Nolan & Tuggle LLC Standing With Our Neighbors Maggie Howell, Eversheds Sutherland LLP Matthew Deavers, Eversheds Sutherland LLP Brian Smith, Arnall Golden Gregory LLP Shaniqua Sin…
…ities. I remember the Atlanta Volunteers Lawyers Foundation’s staff in the Safe Families Office, who are patient and meet the cries for help with empathy and courage. The rest of us can only be inspired and renewed by them. This helps make me a better person. And that is what prompts me to accept another case. When we meet, sitting between my client and me may be an invisible enemy, silently telling the client he or she is unworthy of help, too we…
…spective on domestic violence has completely changed because of my time at Safe Families. My time at the SFO has given me first-hand experience working with survivors of domestic violence. I’ve seen women, as well as men, seek help from our office to escape their abusers. I have had the opportunity to hear their stories and assist them with filing paperwork and navigating the courthouse to obtain their protective orders. I learned that it’s never…
…ram. Nilu graduated from Georgia State University and went to John Marshall Law School. Prior to joining AVLF, she worked as the legal advocate for Partnership against Domestic Violence at the Safe Families Office providing legal assistance and safety planning for survivors of intimate partner violence. Staff Attorney, Family Law Program (678) 681-6008…
…ictim of domestic violence in her protective order case. Ms. T came to the Safe Families Office after her husband became violent when he felt as though she was watching TV too loudly. He spent the night pointing a gun at Ms. T and repeatedly threatening to kill her while the children slept in the other room. Farley stepped in and thanks to her, Ms. T now has a protective order that provides her child support and orders her husband to stay away fro…
…have had such a successful outcome in this case without the support of the Safe Families Office, particularly the assistance of Lilli Crowe and Jamie Perez, who tirelessly answered our questions. AVLF offers training several times throughout the year. Find out more information on their website. All of us juggle many competing interests for our time, but we promise few endeavors will be as rewarding as knowing you potentially saved a client’s life….
…Fate brought him to Atlanta and AVLF, and he is grateful to have the opportunity to continue this work here in Georgia. Paralegal, Safe Families Office hgayler@avlf.org…
…, AVLF staff and volunteers uphold the dignity of their clients. I’ve seen Safe Families Office attorneys become a sort of “human shield” around a survivor, helping their clients remain composed and focused as they face their abuser in court. They don’t have to flee the courtroom out of fear, anger, or frustration simply because their abuser is sitting nearby, trying to intimidate them. AVLF also builds trust. Instead of always having to come to a…
…ons with me. I slowly won him over, though (relying on a few tips from the Safe Families Office along the way!) – and at the end of an exhausting half-day prep session, he said I had convinced him that lawyers “weren’t so bad after all.” He also offered that if my client or I ever needed him again, we should not hesitate to contact him. This experience with AVLF was a reminder to me of how important it is for us to develop allies (whether in law e…
Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.
