The Victim Rights Law Center (VRLC) is a
non-profit organization that provides free legal services to victims of
rape and
sexual assault
Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...
in Massachusetts and Oregon. Established in 2003, it became the first nonprofit law center in the United States solely dedicated to serving the legal needs of sexual assault victims. The VRLC mission is to "provide legal representation to victims of rape and sexual assault to help rebuild their lives and to promote a national movement committed to seeking justice for every rape and sexual assault victim."
VRLC History
', VRLC website. Retrieved 2010-07-08 VRLC also seeks to transform the legal response to sexual assault in the United States.
The Victim Rights Law Center began as a project of the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center in 2000. Founder Susan Vickers focused the organization's legal services on victims assaulted by non-intimate partners. The organization became an independent
501(c)(3)
A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...
non-profit in 2003. VRLC has expanded nationally after receiving a grant from the
Department of Justice's
Office on Violence Against Women. Through the grant, VRLC is providing technical assistance and training to other organizations serving sexual assault victims throughout the United States.
VRLC provides its clients with legal assistance and assists when they are having difficulty with employers, schools or insurance companies. The organization also advocates for the rights of rape victims. After a
Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) is the court of last resort, highest court in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Although the claim is disputed by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, the SJC claims the di ...
decision made it easier for defense lawyers to review mental health records of victims of sexual assault, VRLC criticized the ruling, saying it would discourage rape victims from getting counseling.
[Saltzman, Jonathan]
Easier access to rape-case data criticized: Victims' advocates decry SJC decision.
'' The Boston Globe.'' January 3, 2007. In 2021, VRLC was involved in a legal case challenging the 2020
Title IX Amendments. On July 28, 2021, the
Massachusetts Federal District Court
The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts (in case citations, D. Mass.) is the federal district court whose territorial jurisdiction is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The first court session was held ...
made a decision in ''Victim Rights Law Center et al. v. Cardona'' to vacate part of one of the Title IX provisions
34 C.F.R. § 106.45(b)(6)(i)and sent the decision to the
United States Department of Education for federal consideration. On August 24, 2021, the Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Suzanne B. Goldberg, sent out a letter to students, educators, and other stakeholders that declared the decision made in ''Victim Rights Law Center et al. v. Cardona'' to apply nationwide.
Victim Rights Law Center serves:
* Sexual assault survivors (based on self-identification- criminal charges NOT required
* No age, income, citizenship, or immigration status restrictions
* May include family members in immigration cases
* Only in legal matters related to the sexual assault
Victim Rights Law Center Services in Oregon:
* Victim advocacy (*)
* Safety and privacy (*)
* Benefits and financial stability (*)
* Housing (*)
* Employment (*)
* Education
* Immigration
* Identify document changes
(*) Tricounty area only (Multnomah, Clackamas, & Washington.; survivor must live, work, go to school, or have been assaulted in relevant geographic location.)
See also
*
National Organization for Women (NOW) Woman of Courage Award Winners
*
Post-assault treatment of sexual assault victims
*
Rape
*
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...
References
External links
* {{Official website, https://victimrights.org/
501(c)(3) organizations
Organizations established in 2003
Rape in the United States
Legal advocacy organizations in the United States
Non-profit organizations based in Boston
2003 establishments in Massachusetts