P R O F I L E
Jackie Pontello ’84
AVDA litigated 1,806 cases to completion
Law Center at age 39. The latter was born
last year. With court appearances up to five
out of frustration at being on the outside
times a day, Pontello counts on her staff
looking in on important political issues. “I
to strike a delicate but important balance:
wanted a place at the table,” she says.
Justice For All
“Abusive people hire abusive lawyers. I
She got that and more, but nothing com-
need attorneys who can be barracudas in
pared to what she brought to underserved
J
the courtroom and cry in the hallways with
victims languishing in abusive situations,
ackie Pontello is praying that the body
the victims.”
often with nowhere to turn. Pontello wasted
found in a Houston field this morning isn’t
Pontello herself has shed her share of
no time after taking the helm of AVDA in
one of her clients, reported missing by a
private tears, many of them over children
2004, announcing at her first board meet-
worried family just days before. She and
caught in the middle of these horrendous
ing, “This place needs to be retooled.” That
her staff are making phone calls, trying to
disputes. Her office—like all of her attor-
included replacing contract work with the
find out the identity of the woman, hoping
neys’ and the agency’s waiting room—is
current staff attorney model, using her leg-
against hope that this latest find doesn’t
littered with toys and games to keep little
endary fundraising expertise to reduce
turn out to be one of the approximately 70
people killed in domestic violence incidents
in Harris County every year, most of them
women. Their worst fears are soon confirmed.
“She was ours,” says Pontello sadly.
As executive director of Aid to Victims
of Domestic Abuse (avda-tx.org)—and the
first attorney to hold that top spot—Pontello
is no stranger to bad news, but it hit espe-
cially hard this week. First, AVDA hadn't
lost a current client in 26 years, a statistic
that Pontello finds “remarkable, especially
when you realize we’ve represented about
60,000 people, many of those trying to get
away from their abusers so that things like
this don’t happen.”
Then, Pontello had been in trial all week,
“sitting with the family of a murder victim
from two years ago.” Although the victim
had not been in the AVDA system—which
includes a safety plan for low-income resi-
dents currently living in abusive situations ones occupied while mom recounts the dependency on government funding, organiz-
—Pontello and her staff of attorneys are horrors of Life with Father, or at least Sig- ing the Home Safe Home annual fundraising
frequently brought into what are euphem- nificant Other. With piles of paper, stacks gala, and making AVDA an emergency
istically called post-fatality cases. “We often of folders, and books and more books, her provider. “You walk in that door and within
end up representing the surviving family of office looks much like any attorney’s domain. 24 hours you know whether you have an
murdered victims in domestic violence cases,” Well, almost. There’s the life-size easel-backed attorney, and you will have a protective
she explains, “helping them understand silhouette used in an Austin vigil commem- order if you need one.”
things like legal standing for grandparents, orating a woman shot 14 times by her In her precious little downtime, Pontello
child support, and termination of visitation husband (Pontello represented the victim’s works out, shares a passion for wine col-
rights.” She pauses. “It’s difficult enough mother, shot nine times and left for dead), lecting with her cancer surgeon boyfriend,
for people to co-parent after a divorce. Try and the famous domestic violence poster of watches “goofy” movies, and gets regular
it after one parent has murdered the other.” a flower-draped coffin: “Hit 52 times, sent therapeutic massages “to get the knots out
Bottom line: “It can be very ugly work.” flowers only once.” of my neck and shoulders.” She admits to
A day at the office can include fighting to Looking at the view of Houston’s light anger and disgust at what people do to each
get in front of judges—some of whom are rail from her high-rise downtown office, other, but says fear is never a factor. “Abusers
less than sympathetic to domestic violence Pontello, 47, recalls the circuitous path she are bullies. They don’t scare me.” She lives
victims—arguing with prosecutors over took from Trinity journalism major to 12 for the day when they don’t scare anybody.
delays, getting protective orders, dealing years as editor of Southwest Art, to food Ever again.
with sentencing, bonding, autopsy photos, bank public relations (after visiting the San
and a myriad of other disturbing subjects Antonio Food Bank with Trinity sociology Julie Catalano
that sensational headlines only hint at. professor OZ White), to entering Houston
JANUARY 2010 35
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