Legal Advice for Victims Project
Victims of Hate and Bias Crimes
In recent years, hate and bias crimes have steadily increased throughout the United States. These crimes do not just victimize the immediate victim, instead they threaten, intimidate and victimize entire communities. As part of NCVLI’s commitment to ensuring these victims have access to no cost legal services to protect their rights, NCVLI has launched its Legal Advice for Victims Project. A key part of the Project will be the first pro bono, virtual legal advice and resources platform specifically focused on the needs of victims of hate and bias crimes. The Project will eventually also include a focus on online gender-based abuse, harassment and violence.
Legal Advice for Victims Project Overview
With funding from the Office for Victims of Crime beginning in 2022, the National Crime Victim Law Institute launched the Legal Advice for Victims Project to increase access to no cost legal advice and self-help resources for victims of hate and bias crime to help them understand, assert and seek enforcement of their rights during criminal investigation and prosecution.
Despite the fact that thirty state constitutional amendments, the federal Crime Victims’ Rights Act, and myriad state and tribal legal provisions afford victims’ rights, violations continue. For victims of hate and bias crimes the problem is particularly daunting as there has been a steady increase in hate crimes in recent years, including online gender-based crimes; investigation and prosecution of these crimes occur at low rates; and there are too few affordable, culturally responsive, and accessible lawyers for these victims.
This Project helps to fill the gap. The Project is developing the first pro bono virtual victims’ rights legal advice and resources platform specifically focused on the needs of victims of hate and bias crimes – the Victims’ Rights Advice: Guiding Victims of Hate Crimes website. Through the Victims’ Rights Advice website, victims are empowered to choose whether, how, when, and to what extent to participate in justice processes.
Partners in this effort are Pro Bono Net, Oregon Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Unit, and subject matter expert, Oregon Assistant District Attorney BJ Park.
“Without legal advice and advocacy, many Oregon crime victims face significant obstacles navigating our criminal justice system alone. Working together, this program will provide crime victims with answers and options.”
Legal Advice for Victims Project FAQ
What is the Victims’ Rights Advice website?
The Victims’ Rights Advice website is a key part of NCVLI’s effort to serve victims of hate and bias crimes. The website provides information about hate and bias crimes in the United States, with a focus on Oregon. Victims can access Know Your Rights Resources. In addition, through the website, victims who have experienced victimization in Oregon can create an account and then post specific questions about hate or bias crimes that they have experienced in Oregon that may be answered by licensed attorneys at no charge to the victim.
Who can post a question and obtain legal advice through the Victims’ Rights Advice website?
In order to post a question, a person must first answer a questionnaire which assesses the likelihood that the person qualifies as a victim under the law governing hate and bias crimes under Oregon or federal law. The questionnaire only takes a few minutes. Once the questionnaire is completed, if the person qualifies, they are directed to post a question; if a person does not qualify, they will still be able to access information when they are directed to the Know Your Rights Pages.
Can I volunteer to be a pro bono attorney supporting this Project?
Yes! Interested attorneys can go to the Victims’ Rights Advice website and create a profile, sharing the jurisdiction(s) in which they are licensed to practice, and a brief overview of their legal experience. Eligible attorneys can view, select and answer submitted questions, providing brief, written legal advice. Attorneys choose the topic(s) and question(s) that they would like to answer.
Can I volunteer even if I have never worked in victims’ rights or hate crimes before?
Yes. Attorneys do not need to have prior experience working with victims of hate and bias crimes. NCVLI supports attorneys in their pro bono work with numerous resources, including a no cost CLE series on working with victims of hate and bias crimes. In addition, representation is limited to brief written advice on victims’ rights enforcement matters.
Victims’ Rights Advice Website
The Victims’ Rights Advice website is a key piece of the Legal Advice for Victims Project. It is an interactive website designed to provide general information about hate and bias crimes in the United States. Victims of hate and bias crimes in Oregon can obtain no cost general legal advice regarding their rights during criminal case investigation and prosecution. Check it out:
This project is funded under 15 OVC-22-GK-03314-NONF, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this project are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
