The Courtroom Advocates Project

Connecting survivors with trained law student advocates to assist with the drafting, editing, and filing of family offense petitions for orders of protection.

The Courtroom Advocates Project (CAP) provides victims with trained, supervised law students who assist them with the legal advocacy, education, and safety planning they need to start new lives.

CAP law student advocates assist domestic violence victims by helping them draft and file their petitions, advocating for them during court appearances, educating them about their legal rights and remedies, and providing them with safety planning and referrals to community resources, such as shelters and counseling.

CAP attorneys (in collaboration with NYLAG) supervise the advocates in drafting, editing, and filing the family offense petitions, connect with petitioners, and provide guidance and support throughout the entire process.

What clients can I refer to CAP?

CAP appropriate referrals include the following:

Does the conduct described by petitioner make out a family offense (aka a limited number of crimes under the penal code)? If it is unclear whether the conduct fits within one of the family offenses, then this is not an appropriate CAP referral. If you are not sure about this, please connect with the CAP team to discuss!

Is the petitioner able to discuss their DV history? Although the CAP training includes a discussion of trauma-informed lawyering, petitioners who are highly traumatized and are not able to articulate their DV history are likely not appropriate CAP referrals.

Does the petitioner have any apparent mental health issues? As a general rule, law students are not well-equipped to work with clients who have serious mental health challenges. Those clients should work with a Sanctuary attorney.

If you have a client who you believe could benefit from CAP assistance, or have any questions, please email us at cap@sffny.org.

The Courtroom Advocates Project

What clients can I refer to CAP?

Do you need help?