Power Act Legislation Promoting Pro Bono Services for Victims of Abuse of law Main opponents of this bill Social justice Summary Victims of violence, including domestic, sexual assault and harassment face a multitude of obstacles as they strive to gain independence from their attackers. Too often, those who have been victims of violence or harassment are re-traumatized in court when they do not have the resources to obtain an attorney who would help them obtain justice and freedom from abuse. The Power Act was introduced in the House and Senate to mandate the promotion of pro bono legal services provided by attorneys to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. If passed, judges would be responsible for hosting an event to encourage pro bono legal services to victims at least annually (or every two years for tribal judges) and reporting on the date of the event. event and its progress for annual review by Congress. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the Original EssayPower Legislation Favoring Pro Bono Services for Abuse VictimsAs an Advocate for Victims of Domestic Violence, Assault sexual harassment and stalking, I am constantly trying to identify resources for free or low-cost legal advice to enable or assist my clients in obtaining protection orders, divorce or child custody judgments in criminal cases. Unfortunately, it is common for our clients to have to represent themselves or be intimidated and avoid the legal system altogether. We also have many abusers who have access to the finances necessary to secure the services of a top-notch lawyer and who spend years revictimizing our clients in the courtroom. Access to affordable lawyers is the biggest barrier our clients face, and is often the reason victims end up returning to their abusive partners or are unable to keep an abuser away after a sexual assault or an incident of stalking. With this legislation, judges and attorneys in their area would be encouraged to provide pro bono services to these abuse victims, with oversight from Congress. earlier version in 2015 (S.2280). This bill is titled “An Act to Promote Pro Bono Legal Services as a Critical Way to Empower Survivors of Domestic Violence.” Or for short, “Pro bono Work to Empower and Represent Act of 2017” or “Power Act”. The purpose of this bill is to make it a law that United States Attorneys or their representatives (judges) must participate at least once per week. per year (or once every three years for tribal chief judges) at a public event that promotes and encourages attorneys in their area to provide pro bono services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking criminal. They must then submit a report detailing the progress of each event and the objectives achieved to the Attorney General before October 31. The Attorney General will use these reports to submit a summary to Congress by January 1, which will then be used to determine what objectives were met and how future events can beimproved. The goal and values of this legislature are to protect and prevent future harm to abused people and their families by encouraging "a dedicated army of pro bono attorneys focused on this mission" to "inspire" others to dedicate efforts to this cause” and to provide the services necessary to break cycles of violence (S 717 RFH). The values set out in the bill were those of the abused and their families. It is explicitly stated “….such violence or behavior harms the most vulnerable members of our society. Proactive efforts must be made in all forums to provide pro bono legal services and eliminate the violence that destroys lives and breaks up families. (S 717 RFH). Funding would come from existing money already available to the Department of Justice, but no cost estimates have been received from the Congressional Budget Office (congress.gov, 2018). It was sponsored by Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and was introduced on March 23, 2017, and a year ago, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) was added as a cosponsor along with 10 others. It passed the Senate on August 1, 2017, then passed the House with modifications on July 17, 2018, and returned to the Senate. It is currently awaiting Senate approval.Demographic ImpactAccording to the Center for Disease Control, women are statistically at a much higher risk of being a victim of domestic violence (1 in 4), sexual violence (1 in 5), or stalking (1 in 6), they would therefore be the most impacted by this legislature, followed by children (1 in 15) and men (1 in 59). Regardless of social class, violence affects all individuals of different races, education levels, and income levels. Violence does not discriminate based on any demographic group. However, as this legislature focuses on providing free legal services, it would have a greater impact on lower- and middle-class individuals and families, and would likely not be as necessary for someone with the financial ability to pay. pay your own lawyer. Catalyst for BillIt It is not surprising that this bill was sponsored by an Alaska senator, Dan Sullivan, and includes tribal judges, since American Indian and Alaska Native women are the most victims of violence in the United States, with 47.5% (SafeHorizon.org/CDC, 2017). Many efforts and organizations have been created from the abundance of violence within indigenous populations, including this bill. Senator Sullivan is a staunch human rights advocate who has prioritized protecting Alaska's most vulnerable people. He led the “Choose Respect” campaign as Attorney General to “address high rates of domestic violence and sexual assault in Alaska” (www.sullivan.senate.gov, 2018). Sullivan is also a lawyer and has worked as a law clerk for many judges. He is therefore passionate about equal access to legal services for every citizen.History of BillS. 717 is a bill that was amended from an earlier version in 2015 (S.2280). The new version, S. 717, was introduced on March 23, 2017, passed the Senate on August 1, 2017, then passed the House with modifications on July 17, 2018, and then returned to the Senate. It is awaiting Senate approval at the moment, but it has only a 3% chance of passing in its current form. Heitkamp, Democrat of Alaska, and Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts. Heikamp explains that “by encouraging more partnerships in each state to provide pro bono legal services, we can help provide tools, 2017).

Essay / Power Act Legislation Promoting Pro Bono Services for Victims of Abuse of law Main opponents of this bill Social justice Summary Victims of violence, including domestic, sexual assault and harassment face a multitude of obstacles as they strive to gain independence from their attackers. Too often, those who have been victims of violence or harassment are re-traumatized in court when they do not have the resources to obtain an attorney who would help them obtain justice and freedom from abuse. The Power Act was introduced in the House and Senate to mandate the promotion of pro bono legal services provided by attorneys to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. If passed, judges would be responsible for hosting an event to encourage pro bono legal services to victims at least annually (or every two years for tribal judges) and reporting on the date of the event. event and its progress for annual review by Congress. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the Original EssayPower Legislation Favoring Pro Bono Services for Abuse VictimsAs an Advocate for Victims of Domestic Violence, Assault sexual harassment and stalking, I am constantly trying to identify resources for free or low-cost legal advice to enable or assist my clients in obtaining protection orders, divorce or child custody judgments in criminal cases. Unfortunately, it is common for our clients to have to represent themselves or be intimidated and avoid the legal system altogether. We also have many abusers who have access to the finances necessary to secure the services of a top-notch lawyer and who spend years revictimizing our clients in the courtroom. Access to affordable lawyers is the biggest barrier our clients face, and is often the reason victims end up returning to their abusive partners or are unable to keep an abuser away after a sexual assault or an incident of stalking. With this legislation, judges and attorneys in their area would be encouraged to provide pro bono services to these abuse victims, with oversight from Congress. earlier version in 2015 (S.2280). This bill is titled “An Act to Promote Pro Bono Legal Services as a Critical Way to Empower Survivors of Domestic Violence.” Or for short, “Pro bono Work to Empower and Represent Act of 2017” or “Power Act”. The purpose of this bill is to make it a law that United States Attorneys or their representatives (judges) must participate at least once per week. per year (or once every three years for tribal chief judges) at a public event that promotes and encourages attorneys in their area to provide pro bono services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking criminal. They must then submit a report detailing the progress of each event and the objectives achieved to the Attorney General before October 31. The Attorney General will use these reports to submit a summary to Congress by January 1, which will then be used to determine what objectives were met and how future events can beimproved. The goal and values of this legislature are to protect and prevent future harm to abused people and their families by encouraging "a dedicated army of pro bono attorneys focused on this mission" to "inspire" others to dedicate efforts to this cause” and to provide the services necessary to break cycles of violence (S 717 RFH). The values set out in the bill were those of the abused and their families. It is explicitly stated “….such violence or behavior harms the most vulnerable members of our society. Proactive efforts must be made in all forums to provide pro bono legal services and eliminate the violence that destroys lives and breaks up families. (S 717 RFH). Funding would come from existing money already available to the Department of Justice, but no cost estimates have been received from the Congressional Budget Office (congress.gov, 2018). It was sponsored by Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and was introduced on March 23, 2017, and a year ago, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) was added as a cosponsor along with 10 others. It passed the Senate on August 1, 2017, then passed the House with modifications on July 17, 2018, and returned to the Senate. It is currently awaiting Senate approval.Demographic ImpactAccording to the Center for Disease Control, women are statistically at a much higher risk of being a victim of domestic violence (1 in 4), sexual violence (1 in 5), or stalking (1 in 6), they would therefore be the most impacted by this legislature, followed by children (1 in 15) and men (1 in 59). Regardless of social class, violence affects all individuals of different races, education levels, and income levels. Violence does not discriminate based on any demographic group. However, as this legislature focuses on providing free legal services, it would have a greater impact on lower- and middle-class individuals and families, and would likely not be as necessary for someone with the financial ability to pay. pay your own lawyer. Catalyst for BillIt It is not surprising that this bill was sponsored by an Alaska senator, Dan Sullivan, and includes tribal judges, since American Indian and Alaska Native women are the most victims of violence in the United States, with 47.5% (SafeHorizon.org/CDC, 2017). Many efforts and organizations have been created from the abundance of violence within indigenous populations, including this bill. Senator Sullivan is a staunch human rights advocate who has prioritized protecting Alaska's most vulnerable people. He led the “Choose Respect” campaign as Attorney General to “address high rates of domestic violence and sexual assault in Alaska” (www.sullivan.senate.gov, 2018). Sullivan is also a lawyer and has worked as a law clerk for many judges. He is therefore passionate about equal access to legal services for every citizen.History of BillS. 717 is a bill that was amended from an earlier version in 2015 (S.2280). The new version, S. 717, was introduced on March 23, 2017, passed the Senate on August 1, 2017, then passed the House with modifications on July 17, 2018, and then returned to the Senate. It is awaiting Senate approval at the moment, but it has only a 3% chance of passing in its current form. Heitkamp, Democrat of Alaska, and Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts. Heikamp explains that “by encouraging more partnerships in each state to provide pro bono legal services, we can help provide tools, 2017).

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