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Jessica Cassidy, a dual degree student in law and public affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, has been awarded an Equal Justice Works fellowship to work with Texas Advocacy Project beginning in September of 2009. Jessica’s project will focus on financial empowerment of domestic violence survivors, as well as private enforcement actions to recover back child support. The Equal Justice Works Fellowships Program creates partnerships among public interest lawyers, nonprofit organizations, law firm/corporate sponsors and other donors in order to afford underrepresented populations effective access to the justice system. The program provides financial and technical support to lawyers working on innovative and effective legal projects. This is the first time Texas Advocacy Project has had the honor of hosting an EJW fellow. It comes as no surprise to anyone at the Project that Jessica Cassidy was one of only 50 graduates around the country to be awarded the EJW fellowship this year. A native of Corpus Christi, Texas, Jessica has shown a proven dedication to public interest. She has interned for several public interest organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union, Court Appointed Special Advocates (“CASA” ) and Texas Rio Grande Legal Aide. She has worked as a student attorney in the law school’s Capital Punishment Clinic and for the past two years has been a student co-organizer for Katrina related pro bono work in the Gulf Coast. Jessica also served twice as co-president of the Law School’s Public Interest Law Association and has been active as treasurer of the nonprofit student group which helps to raise money for students doing public interest work. Among her many accolades, including a Baron and Budd Public Interest Scholarship and a J.J. “Jake” Pickle Fellow at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, Jessica was the sole statewide honor recipient of the Texas Access to Justice Commission’s Law Student Pro Bono Award in 2009 - the first of it’s kind - based on her outstanding record of public interest work. “We are delighted Jessica was chosen as an EJW Fellow, but we never doubted it. She was a terrific law clerk and I know she will be a wonderful lawyer. We are lucky to have her.” said Legal Director Annette Lamoreaux. We are excited to welcome Jessica Cassidy back to the Project and look forward to working with her in assisting domestic violence victims.
Allstate Network Luncheon benefiting Texas Advocacy Project This annual event invites Austin and Dallas professionals to rally around the Project’s mission of ending domestic violence. The partnership between Allstate and the Project is in line with Allstate’s decision to invest in long-term strategies to end domestic violence. Janemarie Clark, Allstate’s Foundation Manager for Texas, says the partnership with Texas Advocacy Project makes sense: “Allstate realizes that insurance isn't the only way to help Texans feel secure at home, Texas Advocacy Project offers the kind of resources which lead to a measurable decline in rates of domestic violence. That is something Allstate can definitely get behind.” 2008 keynote speaker for the Dallas Luncheon is Texas Advocacy Project partner Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboy and founder of the SCORE Foundation. Since its inception in 2007 the foundation has funded SCOREkeepers, full time male mentors who interact with children staying at six different domestic abuse shelters across the state of Texas. Jason was honored as a finalist for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2007 and was named Home Depot’s NFL Neighborhood MVP in 2008. A large portion of the funding for these programs was raised through the inaugural Jason Witten SCORE Foundation All-Star Bowl. Not only did Jason and dozens of his Cowboys teammates join in for a great night of bowling, but the event raised nearly $225,000 for programs and initiatives. For information on SCORE Foundation and to register for the 2009 All-Star Bowl visit www.jasonwitten82.com. The Dallas Allstate Network Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 at The Women's Museum: An Institute for the Future. Austin event TBD.
April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month Sexual Assault is defined as conduct of a sexual or indecent nature toward another person that is accompanied by actual or threatened physical force or that induces fear, shame, or mental suffering. 90% of sexual assaults are committed by a friend, dating partner, or acquaintance. 78% of women raped or physically assaulted since they turned 18 were assaulted by a current or former husband, live-in partner or date. At Texas Advocacy Project, our mission is to help victims of relationship abuse. Our attorneys specialize in domestic violence and sexual assault, in many cases contacting victims within hours of their offender's arrest to discuss their legal options and provide them with safety planning and other resources. Our programs enable victims to obtain protective orders and guide them through the step-by-step process of obtaining a divorce; our services ensure safety through every step of the legal process. All Project services are free of charge, ensuring low-income victims have accessibility to proper legal proceedings. What can I do to help?
national: National Domestic Violence/Abuse Hotline state-wide: Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA) Austin:
Take Back the Night is an internationally held march and rally, a gathering that crosses gender lines to confront sexual violence. The rally includes music, poetry, speakers, and an open space for speaking out against violence, while the march provides a space to reclaim one’s rights and/or to march in solidarity with those who have been violated. The unifying theme that threads all of these efforts together is the assertion that all human beings have the right to be free from sexual violence, and the right to be heard. Voices Against Violence (VAV), a program of UT Austin's Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC), hosted Austin’s Take Back the Night on Wednesday April 1st as a major focal point of Sexual Assault Awareness Month at UT. Texas Advocacy Project, among other local organizations, was proud to participate in this event. The evening started off with the Public Offenders performing (a group that uses Hip Hop to get the word about Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence) followed by “open mic”, where victims were encouraged to share their personal stories. At 9:30 pm the March began. Perhaps most notable this year were the number of male participants who chose to speak out against sexual abuse. Look out for our June e-update which will focus on concrete ways men can get more involved in helping end sexual assault and domestic violence in their community. |
family violence legal line800-374-hope (Statewide)512-476-5770 (In Austin)family law hotline800-777-fair (Statewide)512-476-1866 (In Austin)sexual assault legal hotline888-296-safe (Statewide)512-225-9290 (In Austin)technical advocacy hotline888-325-safe (Statewide)512-476-5386 (In Austin)
 
Jessica Cassidy, EJW Fellow |
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