Federal courts hosting training for pro bono representation of abuse victims

A pilot partnership between Indiana Legal Services and a Tippecanoe County court is providing in-court assistance to pro se litigants in divorce cases. Attorneys sit down with litigants behind closed doors, gather the necessary child-support information, fill out the paperwork and send parents back into the courtroom. (Shutterstock.com photo)

The U.S. District Court in southern Indiana is teaming up with district courts around the country to host a virtual training program for pro bono services supporting survivors of domestic violence.

The program will be offered at 1 p.m. June 24.  It is part of the Pro Bono Work to Empower and Represent, or POWER, Act, which focuses on promoting pro bono legal services for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

This year’s event features presentations by the Judge Virginia Mary Kendall, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court in northern Illinois, Judge Laura Taylor Swain of the U.S. District Court in southern New York, and Stacy Schecter, legal director of the Safe Horizon Domestic Violence Law Project.

The training is free and open to the public, but registration is required to attend.