Resource Library
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Webinar Materials: Coerced Debt, Debt Defense & Safety For Survivors, Part 2
July 09, 2018
On June 27th, faculty presented Part 2 of Coerced Debt, Debt Defense & Safety For Survivors. Diane Johnston and Divya Subrahmanyam shared the work of the DVCLARO Project in New York City, a consumer law clinic and partnership that recently conducted a study on the link between coerced debt and homelessness to fuel systems change. Then faculty and CSAJ staff engaged attendees in developing multilevel strategies for change.
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Webinar Materials: Coerced Debt, Debt Defense & Safety For Survivors, Part 1
July 09, 2018
On June 13th, faculty presented on Coerced Debt, Debt Defense & Safety for Survivors. The purpose of this webinar is to equip advocates and attorneys with survivor centered advocacy strategies and legal remedies to address coerced debt facing survivors, with particular emphasis on directing advocacy to how marginalized communities are differentially impacted by debt. Faculty also provided emerging evidence for coerced debt and its impact on survivors’ economic security in order to support programs in community and systems change.
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Webinar Materials: A Guide to Consumer & Economic Civil Legal Advocacy for Survivors
April 30, 2018
On April 26, 2018 CSAJ Expert Advisor, Katie VonDeLinde, and Executive Director, Erika Sussman led the first introductory webinar in our new Consumer Rights Training Toolkits series. The webinar sought to prepare advocates, attorneys, and programs to engage in multilevel, survivor centered economic advocacy. It also laid the groundwork for attendees to engage in an upcoming series of Consumer Rights Training Toolkits, a webinar series that is part of CSAJ’s Consumer Rights for Survivors of Domestic & Sexual Violence Initiative.
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Showing Up: How We See, Speak, and Disrupt Racial Inequity Facing Survivors
March 12, 2018
In September 2017, REEP facilitated seven From Margins to Center Listening Sessions to facilitate dialogue across the field on racial and economic equity for survivors. This report dialogues-back with the community that contributed to the From Margins to Center Listening Sessions. It shares themes and issues from Listening Session conversations via text, graphics and illustrations in order to aid in self-reflection, challenge dominant narratives, support improved data collection and analysis, and to begin, continue, or advance conversations and work toward racial equity for domestic and sexual violence survivors and for all of us.
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Webinar Materials: Consumer Rights for Domestic & Sexual Violence Survivors Initiative
February 26, 2018
On February 21, CSAJ staff shared the underpinnings of the Consumer Rights for Domestic and Sexual Violence Survivors Initiative, reviewed upcoming activities and ways to engage in a new phase of work, and discussed emerging consumer and economic needs with the field.
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Webinar Materials: Margins to Center: A Video Dialogue & Report on Racial Equity for Survivors
January 19, 2018
On January 18th CSAJ and Partners on the Racial & Economic Equity for Survivors Project (REEP) hosted a dialogue with From Margins to Center Listening Sessions. Throughout September, we held seven Listening Sessions in order to create a dialogue across the field to inform survivor-driven systems advocacy and practice recommendations that enhance racial and economic equity for domestic and sexual violence survivors.
Panelists included: Camille Holmes, Principal, CDH Consulting; Erika Sussman, Executive Director, Center for Survivor Agency & Justice; Lisalyn Jacobs, Legal & Policy Director, Center for Survivor Agency & Justice; Mona Muro, Policy Coordinator, Texas Council on Family Violence; Tonya Lovelace, CEO, Women of Color Network, Inc.; Zoe Flowers, Director of Survivor Programs, Women of Color Network, Inc. -
Webinar Materials: Race Equity in Practice: Learning From Impact Sites for Systems Change
October 26, 2017
On October 25th, CSAJ’s Impact Sites for Racial & Economic Equity, Enlance Communitario and Oklahoma City Artists for Justice, led a webinar to share their wisdom and approaches to addressing racial inequity for survivors. They discussed their challenges, context and concrete tools for responding to systemic bias, unequal access to resources, building community partnerships and more.
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Report: What the New Poverty Data Tell Us About Addressing Domestic & Sexual Violence
September 29, 2017
A new report from CSAJ takes a snapshot of recently released poverty data from the U.S. Census Bureau, and asks: Why does the poverty data matter for domestic and sexual violence survivors? And what does it mean for our advocacy? A look and what this data says (and doesn’t say) can be a helpful tool in mapping our own community context and steering our advocacy efforts toward enhancing survivors’ economic security and equity.
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The Wage Gap & Implications for Survivors
August 11, 2017
CSAJ Legal Fellow, Brittany Kent, conducted research on wage gaps an examined implications for survivors. This PPT maps out the research, including model policies and recommendations to center survivors of color in local and national wage gap efforts.
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Webinar Materials: Intersectional Solutions 2: Advancing Racial & Economic Equity for Survivors
July 28, 2017
On July 25, 2017 partners Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence and Texas Council on Family Violence facilitated a webinar The goal of this webinar is to put an intersectional advocacy framework into practice and offer concrete strategies for systems change to address racial, cultural, and gender inequities.
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Webinar Materials: Intersectional Solutions 1: Advancing Racial & Economic Equity for Survivors
June 02, 2017
On May 25, 2017 partners Women of Color Network, Inc. and Casa de Esperanza facilitated a webinar thaty drew upon contemporary issues of immigration detention, language access, and over-incarceration, to lift up a holistic, intersectional framework and offer strategic advocacy responses from national technical assistance and grassroots perspectives.
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Guidebook on Consumer & Economic Civil Legal Advocacy for Survivors
May 09, 2017
Copy and past the url below into your browser or email info@csaj.org to access the Guidebook: https://csaj.org/Guidebook_form
A comprehensive and survivor-centered guide for domestic violence attorneys and legal advocates. A product of CSAJ's Consumer Rights for Domestic and Sexual Violence Survivors Initiative, the purpose of this Guidebook is to offer concrete consumer and economic civil legal remedies, as well as nonlegal advocacy strategies, through the lens of survivor centered advocacy – rooted in the experiences of survivors who are living in poverty. -
2016 Annual Report
April 03, 2017
CSAJ's Annual Report, demonstrating our philosophy, work, and impact in 2016.
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Webinar Materials: Race Equity Approaches to Domestic & Sexual Violence
March 30, 2017
On March 23, 2017, race equity partners, Camille Holmes, Bill Kennedy, and the Kirwan Institute on the Study of Race & Ethnicity mapped out a race equity framework in a webinar. They identified race equity tools and their origin in the mind sciences and learned how the tools have been used to transform advocacy in other arenas. Participants engaged in discussion about how the approach and tools might be applied to the domestic violence field.
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Accounting for Survivors’ Economic Security Atlas: Mapping the Terrain
February 14, 2017
The Economic Security for Survivors Atlas will be released in a series of three Map Books: Mapping, Navigating, and Changing the Terrain. In this first Map Book, we’ve gathered insights from research, practice, and survivors’ experiences to describe the landscape and articulate a framework for intersectional advocacy based on four guideposts.
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Webinar Materials: Racial & Economic Equity for Domestic & Sexual Violence Survivors Project
January 26, 2017
On January 25, 2017, this webinar introduced CSAJ’s Legal Impact for Racial & Economic Equity for Survivors Project (REEP), a national TA Project that seeks to address the barriers of implicit and explicit discrimination, institutional bias, and structural oppression to enhance access to economic justice for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Faculty described REEP, introduced project partners, and explored what approaches and strategies a Race Equity framework may have to offer advocates working with low and no-income DV/SA survivors of color.
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CSAJ’s 2016 Impact Report
December 21, 2016
The 2016 Impact Report highlights CSAJ's major accomplishments for the year across multiple levels: Enhancing individual advocacy, creating organizational and community reform, and fostering systems change.
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Advocacy Brief: Survivor Centered Economic Advocacy: A Multilevel Approach
December 14, 2016
In this Advocacy Brief, CSAJ’s Expert Advisor, Katie VonDeLinde, brings together voices from survivors and perspectives from advocates across the country to offer a framework as well as strategies for survivor-centered economic advocacy at the individual, organizational, and systems level. It is meant to help integrate survivor-centered economic advocacy principals at the multiple levels within advocates' work, given the environment, resources, and even the barriers we may face in doing so.
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Advocacy Brief: What Survivors Need to Know About Filing a Tax Return
December 14, 2016
In this Advocacy Brief, CSAJ’s Expert Advisors, Jamie Andree and Theo Ciccarelli Cornetta of Indiana Legal Services Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, demystify common tax issues facing survivors. The Advocacy Brief is designed to help advocates understand and address tax issues as well as enhance survivors’ options for financial stability through their taxes. Partnerships are critical to the task, and also discussed.
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Webinar Materials: Domestic Violence in Foreclosure
June 23, 2016
On June 22, 2016 CSAJ Expert Advisor, Karen Tjapkes, presented a webinar, "Domestic Violence in Foreclosure: The Foreclosure Process, Defenses & Alternatives for Survivors". This training informs attorneys and advocates about the foreclosure process and the particular legal issues facing survivors.
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Webinar Materials: Debt in the Context of Safety
April 29, 2016
On April 29, 2016 CSAJ hosted a panel of esteemed faculty - Adrienne Adams, Angela Littwin, Matt Schedler, Ariana Lindermayer - to discuss coerced debt for survivors and available legal remedies. Faculty describe how coerced debt manifests in survivors’ lives, engage attendees in identifying coerced debt, review available legal strategies to address coerced debt, and discuss the unique safety and privacy implications for survivors. Opportunities for broad coalition building to advance coerced debt and other debt defense strategies will also be discussed.
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Webinar Materials: Survivor Centered Economic Advocacy in Organizational Context
March 30, 2016
Faculty and CSAJ Expert Advisor, Katie Vondelinde, helps answer the question: What does it take from organizations and organizational leaders to effectively implement survivor centered economic advocacy? Also featuring Purvi Shah, Senior Consultant with Women of Color Network, Inc. The webinar explores what makes an effective survivor centered organization including developing leadership support, increasing and supporting staff capacity and supervision, examining the role of race and power in SCEA work, and building or strengthening new partnerships.
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Webinar Materials: Federal Tax Advocacy for Survivors: What Attorneys Need to Know
February 10, 2016
On February 10, 2016, CSAJ's Expert Advisor, Jamie Andree, provided a webinar training on a range of tax advocacy issues facing survivors.
Access the webinar slides here. The recording is available at www.csaj.org/webinars. -
Advocacy Brief: The National Consumer Assistance Plan
February 02, 2016
This Advocacy Brief describes a recent settlement that binds the "Big Three" Credit Reporting Agencies and explores the implications and strategies to credit repair for survivors of domestic violence.
This advocacy brief is intended to assist attorneys and advocates working with survivors in disputing, repairing, and rebuilding credit. It provides an overview of The Plan in the context of survivors who have experienced coerced debt and damaged credit at the hands of an abusive partner, offering advocacy strategies for credit repair, with a particular emphasis on the anticipated implementation and enforcement of the The Plan. It also references other CSAJ resources and trainings on credit reporting and repair for advocates and attorneys working with survivors. -
Safety Requires Economic Security: Infographic
October 15, 2015
For Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2015, the Center for Survivor Agency and Justice released an infographic summarizing the research behind the need to link economic security with physical safety in our advocacy efforts.
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Webinar Materials: Credit Checks: An Illegitimate Barrier to Employment for Survivors
October 08, 2015
On October 8, 2015 CSAJ and Amy Traub of Demos discussed how employer credit checks impact employment opportunities for survivors. Individual level advocacy strategies were discussed with an emphasis on systems change work, as demonstrated by the NYC credit check ban.
See CSAJ's "News" section for more resources from CSAJ's Webinar Series on Credit. -
Webinar Materials: Credit Reporting & Repair for Survivors
September 10, 2015
Presentation slides for Laura Russell's webinar, "Credit Reporting and Repair for Survivors". Event recording available at www.csaj.org/webinars
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Webinar Materials: Building Partnerships for Economic Justice
June 26, 2015
In 2013-2014 CSAJ collaborated with four pilot sites to enhance survivor economic security by building partnerships. In this webinar, the innovative sites review their work, lessons learned, accomplishments, and future directions in economic justice. This work was recently published in a report by CSAJ: Building Partnerships for Economic Justice: A Report on CSAJ's Innovative Pilot Projects.
The innovative sites include, Texas Council on Family Violence, Women's Resource Center (Scranton, PA), Indiana Legal Services, Inc. Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, and University of Denver School of Law, Civil Litigation Clinic.
The webinar recording is available at www.csaj.org/webinars -
Public Comments to U.S. Department of Education on Student Loans for Married Borrowers
April 28, 2015
Department of Education invited public comment during meetings to establish new student loan repayment plans. In partnership with the National Consumer Law Center, and Expert Advisors Jamie Andree, Laura Russell, Women's Resource Center (Scranton, PA), Texas Council on Family Violence, and Tammy Kuennen, CSAJ provided comments on April 28, 2015. The comments relate to the DOE's proposed rule to new student loan calculations that would eliminate the option for married student borrowers to file income taxes as "married filing separately", with serious implications for the economic security and safety of survivors.
CSAJ will submit written comments during the open public comment period. Read the attached for our oral comments. -
Civil Tort Suits and Economic Justice for Battered Women, 2004
April 28, 2015
This article, published in Victim Advocate, addresses the limitations of protection orders, criminal law, and family law in providing relief for economic needs facing so many survivors. It highlights the economic needs, reviews predominant legal remedies, and lays the foundation for civil tort law to fill much needed legal gaps in supporting economic justice for survivors.
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Webinar Materials: Survivor Centered Economic Advocacy
April 02, 2015
Webinar slides for CSAJ's webinar, "Survivor Centered Economic Advocacy: Expanding Our Approach to Safety". Hosted by Erika Sussman and Katie Vondelinde.
View webinar recording and other materials under the "News" heading. -
Comments to CFPB on Amendments to the 2013 Mortgage Rules
March 26, 2015
CSAJ with Expert Advisor, Karen Tjapkes, submitted comments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on Amendments to the 2013 Mortgage Rules under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (Regulation X) and the Truth in Lending Act (Regulation Z), which enhanced protection to survivors who are awarded mortgages in divorce.
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She Helps Survivors Thrive
March 16, 2015
Redbook Magazine features women business leaders and featured CSAJ's Executive Director, Erika Sussman. Read more about her history, CSAJ's work, and ways to partner to enhance economic security for survivors of domestic violence.
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Building Partnerships for Economic Justice: A Report on CSAJ’s Innovative Pilot Projects
November 21, 2014
This Report details the activities and lessons learned in the first year of CSAJ's Building Partnerships for Economic Justice Pilot Projects, four on-the-ground implementation sites focused upon collaborative approaches to enhance economic and consumer rights for domestic violence survivors. After conducting a needs assessment of hundreds of consumer rights and domestic violence attorneys and advocates across the nation, CSAJ selected four precedent setting organizations with which to collaborate in developing the Pilot Projects. The four project sites are: Texas Council on Family Violence in Austin, Texas; Indiana Legal Services in Bloomington, Indiana; Women's Resource Center in Scranton, Pennsylvania; Columbus Community Legal Services, Catholic University School of Law, Washington, DC. The Pilot Projects are the most recent phase of the organization's Consumer Rights for Domestic Violence Survivors Initiative, a national project that seeks to enhance consumer rights for domestic violence survivors by building the capacity of and building collaborative partnerships between domestic violence and consumer lawyers and advocates.
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Economic Ripple Effect of IPV: Building Partnerships for Systemic Change
November 20, 2013
Article in the August/September 2013 issue of the Domestic Violence Report. The reciprocal relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and poverty is well documented. Batterers create economic instability for their partners through economic sabotage and control. And poverty, in turn, creates increased vulnerability to violence and additional barriers to safety. While the domestic violence literature has highlighted the importance of economic security for survivors, few researchers have examined the breadth and long-term impact of batterers' deliberate actions to sabotage survivors' economic security. Indirect and lasting economic consequences ripple throughout survivors' lives long after the abuse has stopped, compounding their effects and creating increased vulnerability to future abuse. In this article, we identify the dimensions of economic harms experienced by survivors and recommend programmatic responses to address the full depth of these harms. These recommendations are based on data collected from survivors, advocates, and attorneys, through interviews, a national needs assessment, and over a decade of technical assistance work.
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Webinar Materials: Tax Advocacy for DV Survivors in the Context of Military Life
November 03, 2013
Many survivors of domestic violence experience tax issues as a result of their partner's abuse. Batterers may force their their partners to file joint returns, file joint returns without their knowledge or consent, or compel their partners to surrender their refunds. The context of military life presents unique challenges and opportunities. Batterers in the military may use their military status (e.g. rank) and/or the context of military life (e.g., isolation) to perpetuate economic as well as physical abuse. We know that economic resources are critical to the long-term safety of all domestic violence survivors. Pro bono attorneys can provide invaluable advocacy to survivors of domestic violence in the military by accessing tax relief. However, such representation can only be effective when attorneys are mindful of both the safety and privacy risks presented by domestic violence and the tax remedies available. This webinar provided pro bono attorneys with the skills and information needed to provide survivor-centered tax representation, with a particular eye toward realities facing domestic violence survivors who have partners serving in the military.
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Criminal Records & Employment Rights: A Tool for Advocates Working with Domestic Violence Survivors
October 28, 2013
Many survivors of domestic violence find themselves with criminal records. Oftentimes this is due to coerced criminal acts, experienced at the hands of their partner. Sometimes, this is a result of a misguided criminal justice system response to their partner’s abuse (for example, a dual arrest). Whatever the reason, survivors who have a criminal record face enormous challenges in accessing employment and economic security. If you are an advocate working with a survivor who has a criminal record and is seeking employment, this tool may be helpful to you. The following information is designed to help you to 1) better understand the employment rights of survivors who have criminal records and 2) offer tips and resources to survivors as they prepare for the job application and interview process, attend job interviews, and respond to a decision by a prospective employer.
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Criminal Records and Employment Rights: A Tool for Survivors of Domestic Violence
October 28, 2013
Many survivors of domestic violence find themselves with criminal records. Oftentimes this is due to coerced criminal acts, experienced at the hands of their partner. Sometimes, this is a result of a misguided criminal justice system response to their partner’s abuse (for example, a dual arrest). Whatever the reason, survivors who have a criminal record face enormous challenges in accessing employment and economic security. If you find yourself in this position, this tool may be helpful to you. The following information is designed to 1) help you to better understand your employment rights, and 2) offer tips and resources as you prepare for the job application and interview process, as you attend job interviews, and once you’ve heard from the prospective employer.
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Webinar Materials: Housing Policy and Systems Advocacy
October 14, 2013
Slide set for the webinar, "Housing Policy and Systems Advocacy for Domestic Violence Survivors." The presentation includes: the intersection of homelessness and domestic violence and the need for creative advocacy; how to craft a housing advocacy plan for your community; where federal and state housing policy “sits” at the local level and how to influence its implementation; and strategies for choosing partners in your plan to advocate for meaningful solutions.
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Achieving Economic Justice for Domestic Violence Survivors: A National Needs Assessment
August 21, 2013
In 2012 CSAJ conducted a needs assessment of individuals who address domestic violence and/or consumer rights issues in their work. The purpose of the assessment was to gather information about existing consumer rights advocacy for domestic violence survivors, as well as to survey the factors that shape professionals’ capacities to engage in these efforts. This report details a number of striking results.
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Tax Abuse
June 12, 2013
An overview of potential considerations for domestic violence survivors when filing federal tax returns.
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Prioritizing Debts of Survivors of Domestic Violence
March 27, 2013
Presentation slides for Fred Corbit's webinar, "Prioritizing Debts of Survivors of Domestic Violence."
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Debt collection agent form letter
March 25, 2013
A form letter that can be sent to debt collection agents to request they stop communications regarding an account. Provided to CSAJ by Fred Corbit, faculty for multiple debt prioritization and collection defense trainings.
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The Civil Protection Order as a Tool for Economic Justice
March 11, 2013
This article urges attorneys and advocates for survivors to consider using civil protection orders as a tool for accessing economic justice. Section I sets forth the landscape of economic relief in civil protection order statutes. Section II of this article offers practical advocacy strategiesfor the issuance and enforcement of civil protection order economic relief provisions.
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Domestic Violence Screening Tool for Consumer Lawyers
February 20, 2013
To effectively advocate for remedies that balance economic and physical safety considerations, consumer lawyers need to identify whether their client is a survivor of domestic violence and acquire an understanding of the risks and needs arising out of their client’s experience. This document is intended to assist consumer lawyers in determining who, among their clients, is a survivor of domestic violence in order to enhance legal representation and advocacy.
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Building Partnerships to Enhance Consumer Rights for Survivors: An Assessment & Resource Tool
February 20, 2013
The Building Partnerships to Enhance Consumer Rights for Domestic Violence Survivors: An Assessment and Resource Tool for Attorneys and Advocates aims to provide a starting point for attorneys and advocates interested in enhancing consumer rights for domestic violence survivors. The questions offer advocates an opportunity to self‐reflect and assess their own organizational and individual capacity with regard to building partnerships to enhance consumer rights for survivors. The responses to the questions are intended to provide ideas and resources to attorneys and advocates interested in building partnerships for consumer rights both within their organizations and within their communities. Areas of focus include: a general description of consumer rights advocacy for domestic violence survivors, screening tools for consumer lawyers and domestic violence lawyers, program protocols and policies that promote consumer rights for survivors, efforts to enhance community partnerships, and innovative partnerships. Note that all of the practices and programs mentioned were developed in relation to particular communities and the needs of survivors in those communities. Thus, when reading this tool, advocates for survivors should consider these practices and policies in light of the needs presented by the individuals with whom they work and the communities in which we live.
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Building and Repairing Your Credit History: Brochure
February 20, 2013
Brochure for survivors of domestic violence that includes information on how to repair one's credit report and adding positive information to one's credit report.
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Prioritizing Your Expenses: Brochure
February 20, 2013
Brochure for domestic violence survivors that includes guidelines for prioritizing debt.
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Domestic Violence in Foreclosure: The Foreclosure Process, Defenses and Alternatives for Survivors
February 05, 2013
Presentation slides for CSAJ webinar, Foreclosure Advocacy for Domestic Violence Survivors
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Workplace rights of applicants & employees who experience DV, sexual assault or stalking
February 05, 2013
Presentation slides for CSAJ's webinar training, Employment Rights Advocacy for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survivors
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Budgeting and Debt Prioritization
January 28, 2013
Presentation slides for CSAJ teleconference, Budgeting and debt prioritization - 2010
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Advancing the economic rights of domestic violence survivors
January 28, 2013
Battered Women's Justice Project advocacy tips handout - June 2004
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Accessing economic justice for survivors in family law cases
January 28, 2013
Presentation slides for CSAJ teleconference, Accessing economic justice for survivors in family law cases
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Coordinating domestic violence and foreclosure cases
January 28, 2013
Supplemental Material for CSAJ's July 23 2009 Teleconference
Enhancing Advocacy for Domestic Violence Survivors by Coordinating Domestic Relations and Foreclosure Cases -
Individual Advocacy and Legal Rights in Consumer Issues
January 24, 2013
Presentation slides for Laura Russell's conference presentation, "Individual Advocacy and Legal Rights in Consumer Issues"
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Who Do I Pay First?: Prioritizing Debts of Survivors of Domestic Violence
January 24, 2013
Presentation slides for CSAJ conference session, "Who Do I Pay First?: Prioritizing Debts of Survivors of Domestic Violence"
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Survivor-Centered Consumer Rights Advocacy
January 24, 2013
Presentation slides for CSAJ conference session, "Survivor-Centered Consumer Rights Advocacy"
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Federal Income Tax Advocacy for Domestic Violence Survivors
January 24, 2013
Presentation slides for CSAJ webinar, "Federal Income Tax Advocacy for Domestic Violence Survivors."
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Screening for Consumer Issues: A Tool for Advocates and Attorneys
January 24, 2013
Presentation slides for CSAJ webinar, "Screening for Consumer Issues: A Tool for Advocates and Attorneys"
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Credit Reporting Issues for Domestic Violence Survivors
January 24, 2013
Presentation slides for CSAJ webinar "Credit Reporting Issues for Domestic Violence Survivors."
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Consumer Rights Screening Tool for Domestic Violence Advocates and Lawyers
November 10, 2012
The Screening Tool aims to provide an overview of common consumer law issues faced by domestic violence survivors and offer concrete guidance on how to identify consumer issues in the course of one’s advocacy. The tool is not intended to provide guidance in assessing legal claims and legal strategizing. Rather, it is meant to serve as an issue-spotting tool for domestic violence lawyers and advocates. Once advocates identify a need for consumer advocacy, coordination between domestic violence advocates and consumer advocates is critical to ensuring that family law cases and consumer law cases support one another and fit within the survivor’s broader safety plan.
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Representing Survivors Experiencing Trauma and Other Mental Health Challenges
November 10, 2012
The handbook was created for the overall purpose of providing guidance to attorneys so that they can help survivors achieve their civil legal objectives when trauma or other mental health challenges are a potential factor in a case. We do this in two ways. First, it intends to help attorneys identify when trauma may be an issue so that they can partner with the survivor to craft personal and legal strategies that help her to stay safe, avoid circumstances that can potentially trigger the effects of trauma, and develop plans for when triggers do arise. Second, it offers guidance on each step of a civil case related to the possibility of the opposing party or others raising issues about the mental health of the survivor. The handbook is intended to help attorneys anticipate with their clients the kinds of mental health-related case theories and evidence that the opposing party may attempt to procure and introduce, respond to such attempts, deal with custody evaluators, decide whether to negotiate or proceed to trial, choose and utilize experts, cross-examine the opposing party, and craft a closing argument.