by Wynona I. Ward, Esq. and E. Robin Goodrum
Access to Justice Can Be a Matter of Life or Death for Some
Many attorneys walk in and out of the
courtroom every day, taking their right to have access to the justice system for them- selves and their clients for granted, not re- alizing how access to justice can be a mat- ter of life or death for some indigent Ver- monters who cannot afford to hire an at- torney. Prosecutors, public defenders, and those who work in the juvenile court, with some probate issues, or who represent vic- tims in the relief from abuse docket know this is true and carry that burden whenever they are in the courtroom. The Vermont Bar Foundation has real- ized the importance of access to justice for everyone for over thirty years. The vi- sion of the VBF is to “support efforts to en- sure that all Vermonters understand and have meaningful access to the justice sys- tem.”1
In order to fulfill that vision, the mis- sion of the VBF is to “support access to jus- tice in Vermont by obtaining and distrib- uting funds to programs that provide le- gal services to disadvantaged Vermonters or that educate the general public about
the courts and legal matters.”2 Have Jus-
tice – Will Travel, Inc., (HJWT) and its Legal Empowerment Assistance Program (LEAP), share the Foundation’s understanding of and dedication to addressing the legal needs of those Vermonters that are unable to hire an attorney. Since 2002, HJWT, a Vermont 501(c)(3)
nonprofit, has been extremely fortunate to be one of the legal programs benefit- ing from the funds distributed by the VBF. HJWT is an innovative, mobile, multi-ser- vice model that assists rural victims of do- mestic violence through free representa- tion for relief from abuse and family law matters. HJWT offers Vermont victims of domestic abuse a continuum of legal and social services that allow them to under- stand the roots of the abuse, leave the abuser, and achieve the economic and emotional self-sufficiency necessary to end the generational cycle of abuse. The need for legal services for domestic violence victims and for those who suffer emotional and economic abuse, whether it
is in family or probate court, in Vermont is overwhelming. HJWT receives hundreds of telephone calls each year from pro se liti- gants seeking legal assistance that we can- not fully represent because of our already heavy caseload. In the past three years HJWT has received an average of 1,300 calls each year asking for legal education and advice. Referrals are received from attorneys in private practice, family and probate courts, victim advocacy groups, guardians ad li- tem, law enforcement, mental health agen- cies, social workers, doctors, nurses, and educators. In an effort to help these wom- en, men, and children, HJWT established LEAP to offer long-term support to those pro se litigants who call looking for legal advice and direction throughout the devel- opment of their case, but for which HJWT cannot provide an attorney. Those calling HJWT request advice for a variety of legal issues including relief from abuse, divorce, parental rights and respon- sibilities, parent child contact, child sup-
www.vtbar.org
THE VERMONT BAR JOURNAL • FALL 2012
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