WISH LIST $100: leverages $3,750 in pro bono legal services; $500: provides expert consultation for a mother fighting to protect her child; $3,000: litigates an entire appeal.

Despite the reforms of recent decades, some battered women have coined the phrase “legal system abuse” to describe their sense that court cases subject them to another round of cruel treatment. Appeals can overturn unjust outcomes – but they require special expertise and are often prohibitively expensive. Enter DV LEAP, filling a vacuum in existing legal advocacy by providing pro bono appeals, training, and strategic assistance to lawyers and courts. Criminal prosecution of batterers, family litigation (divorce and custody), civil protection orders, and consitutional rights are DV LEAP’s territory. It empowers victims and their advocates by arranging expert representation for appeals; educating its pro bono counsel through in-depth consultation and mentoring; training lawyers, judges, and others on cutting-edge issues; and spearheading the DV community’s advocacy in Supreme Court cases. After only two years, DV LEAP has been recognized as a model program by the Altria Group, which sponsors the leading national domestic violence program, Doors of Hope. Your support opens doors of hope for the mothers and children who deserve to be heard.

Joan Meier, Esq, Executive Director 2000 G Sreet NW Washington, DC 20052 (202) 994-2278 www.dvleap.org