Student Representation of Battered Woman: The Yale Law School Temporary Restraining Order Project

• NCJ Number: 117135
• Journal: Journal of the Center for Women Policy Studies Volume: 11 Issue: 4 Dated: (1989) Pages: 3-11
• Author(s): G R Brown; K A Keitel; A E Lundy
• Date Published: 1988
• Length: 9 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program Description (Demonstrative)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Article adapted from a larger paper published in Yale Law Review, V 96, N 9 (July 1987), P 1985-2020.

Annotation

This article presents guidelines for establishing a student-managed legal assistance program to obtain restraining orders for battered women, based on the experience of the Yale Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) Project for Battered Women in Connecticut.

Abstract

Established in 1984 to provide free and accessible legal assistance to battered women in the New Haven, Conn., area, the project represents about 40 clients per semester. Its success rate in obtaining restraining orders for clients has been nearly 100 percent. Staffing consists of 37 attorneys and 35 law students. A student is given one credit per semester for representing a client at an ex parte hearing. The Yale TRO Project provides representation for both temporary and full protection orders. The components and structure of the Yale TRO project, which may be replicated in other States, encompass the legal representation of battered women, recruitment and training of students and attorneys, client scheduling, and police involvement. Professional responsibilities are defined, particularly with regard to the attorney's role, confidentiality, court duties, and settlement negotiation. Extra-legal considerations in a TRO Project primarily involve sensitivity issues, such as frustration, cultural and class differences, racism, and sexism. 9 references.