…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…
…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….
…ety and helped me understand my options as a victim. The atmosphere in the Safe Families Office is so serene. Sharing my story felt like a cleansing. I was comfortable talking to them. They took the time to refer me to an attorney to assist me in communicating to the judge why I needed a protective order. My attorney cared about my situation and made sure I gathered all the information I needed as part of the evidence in my hearing. Not only was t…
…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…
…, 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…
…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…
…ffice Extern) Chambliss Thompson, Georgia State University College of Law (Safe Families Office Extern) Guardian ad Litem Gary Alembik, Alembik & Alembik Vanessa Kosky, The Law Office of Vanessa Kosky, PC Jeremy Abernathy, Abernathy Ditzel, LLC Mari LaScala, LaScala Law, LLC Nneka Egwautu, Clyde & Co US LLP Eviction Defense Ashley Hager, Troutman Sanders John Dalton, Troutman Sanders Sean Phillips, Troutman Sanders Sarah Kelsey, Law Office of Sara…
…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…
…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…
…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…
…ed in Atlanta, he followed her here. Her husband, now abusing crack cocaine, stole her car and repeatedly banged on the windows of her home, demanding to be let in the house. At the end of her rope and desperate to keep herself and her baby safe, Ms.O’Brien came to the Safe Families Office. First-time volunteer Ben Ralston of Weinberg Wheeler Hudgins Gunn & Dial took the case and helped her obtain a twelve-month protective order. Thanks to Ben’s h…
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