Her Justice

Three weeks ago I became the Executive Director of Her Justice, a remarkable organization that helps women and families living in poverty in New York City—the majority of whom are escaping intimate partner violence—to build new beginnings through our civil justice system.   I felt called to join Her Justice because I believe deeply in both its mission and its model, which was designed with BigLaw pro bono as its animating core. Most non-profit legal services organizations do the bulk of the work with staff attorneys and supplement with firm support—but Her Justice deploys firm attorneys on every case, leveraging their talents and resources to serve vastly more clients than would otherwise be possible.  Last year 13 Her Justice attorneys mentored 1,641 volunteer attorneys who represented 4,131 women and children. They donated approximately 52,000 hours of service. That represents more than $43 MILLION invested into our civil justice system, for the New Yorkers who need it most.   I have been so privileged to witness time and again the transformative power of pro bono representation to fundamentally shift not just our clients’ life trajectories, but also our own.  For volunteer attorneys, this work is a pathway to greater commitment to our communities and to empathy and understanding for radically different life experiences. My former colleagues at Paul, Weiss and the countless attorneys at other firms I’ve appeared alongside and against are excellent lawyers, and I am eager to grow an organization that brings their tremendous talents to some of our most marginalized neighbors.     So I knew I would be inspired by the work and the clients.  But nothing could have prepared me for just how extraordinary the Her Justice staff are.  The 41 people who also felt called to this organization do difficult, complicated work every single day, and they do it with compassion, brilliance, tenacity, and a profound sense of humanity—our clients’, their own, and ours collectively—while confronting unjust and dehumanizing systems.  While there is an undeniable heaviness to what the team does, there is also deep joy.  They are kind and they are *fun*.   Three weeks into the job, I am feeling so honored and grateful to be working alongside these lovely people and the broader Her Justice community of partners and supporters to drive towards a civil justice system that better serves all New Yorkers. 

Missouri executed Marcellus Williams last night. Even after the district attorney who prosecuted Marcellus fought to have the conviction overturned because he believed the system got it wrong. After the victim’s family requested Marcellus’ sentence be commuted. After people across the country pleaded with those in power — Missouri Gov Mike Parson, the Missouri Supreme Court, and the US Supreme Court — to intervene. And still.     As lawyers and advocates, Her Justice sees that violence isn’t just interpersonal — it also happens at the hands of systems and at the hands of the state. The death penalty disproportionately impacts Black Americans. 41% of inmates on death row are Black, even though Black people make up 14% of the US population.     Her Justice is committed to our vision of a world where we are all safe from violence. This should have included Marcellus. Rest in peace.    Portrait tribute by Jennifer White-Johnson

Her Justice gathered with over a hundred leaders and advocates to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in Washington, DC last week!     VAWA is core to Her Justice’s client work, especially our work with immigrant survivors of gender-based violence. The act’s endurance since 1994 represents decades of protection for survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, stalking, and more. When it passed, the bill was a watershed in the legal landscape, marking the first comprehensive federal legislative package designed to end violence against women.     Her Justice’s Immigration Program Director Susanna Saul and Supervising Attorney Esther Limb caught up with our community partners Azaleea Carlea of Legal Momentum and Hannah Shapiro of The Legal Aid Society at the celebration!    Learn more about VAWA from our partners at Legal Momentum: https://lnkd.in/e3GBWSij

In her most recent piece, reporter Rachel Louise Snyder of The New York Times takes a clear-eyed look at how our legal system's understanding of self-defense misses the mark — and the real-world impact for women and families. Her Justice knows firsthand how our laws often play out gendered legal realities. The stories in Snyder's reporting make the stakes clear. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/ebX-PECp Explore the study the article is based on here ("Fatal Peril: Unheard Stories from the IPV-to-Prison Pipeline" by Stanford Law School's Criminal Justice Center's Regilla Project): https://lnkd.in/ekUiQPY6

In her latest piece for NYN Media, Amy Barasch, Esq. explores how “we do divorce wrong” – tackling assumptions we make about the impact of divorce, pinpointing the real source of harms associated with it, and suggesting how we can rethink our approach so that our legal system serves families better.    “The best way to protect against the harm of divorce [...] is to create legal systems that support couples who decide to separate so that they can do so quickly, simply, and fairly.” – Amy Barasch, Esq.     Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/eA6K3Ytj

Join the Her Justice team! We're hiring a Finance Manager. This role reports to the Head of Finance and Operations and is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of finances to ensure financial sustainability, efficiency, and alignment with Her Justice's mission and strategic objectives. Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/gSkwrwyE

Outgoing Executive Director Amy Barasch, Esq. sat down with NYN Media to speak about Her Justice and the magic of our “pro bono first” model, how the organization’s work has grown during her decade-long tenure, and what’s next on her horizon! Read her interview here: https://lnkd.in/eefcDPGt

Today’s New York Times essay by the experts at the American Immigration Council reflects what Her Justice sees day-in and day-out in our own work. It clearly describes our immigration system’s structure and shortcomings – putting it in easy-to-understand context – and offers much-needed solutions to move us forward. We think it’s worth a read! https://lnkd.in/ejNs4KGV “Elected leaders like to invoke this narrative that there’s an easy, “right” and a hard, “wrong” way to immigrate to the United States, because it makes the solution for fixing our broken immigration system seem simple. We just need more law-abiding people to get in the right line. But the reality that is all too clear to immigrants navigating our byzantine system, and the lawyers and advocates who try to help them, is that there is no line to get into for a vast majority of people who wish to come to the United States. If the government is serious about securing the border, we have to make it easier for people to come through legal channels.”

Yesterday the Westchester Women's Bar Association announced the passing of its founder, the Honorable Sondra M. Miller. Judge Miller was a true court leader for women's rights, advancing the social, economic, and legal status of women through the law in tangible ways. We're grateful for her vision, impact, and leadership in the legal community throughout the years. Read more about Miller's life and achievements: https://lnkd.in/eAFMT3kX