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LAV Program Fact Sheet

OVW’s Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) Program is intended to increase the availability of civil and criminal legal assistance needed to effectively aid adult and youth victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking by providing funds for comprehensive direct legal services to victims in legal matters relating to or arising out of that abuse or violence. Comprehensive direct legal services include more than assistance with protection order hearings; they address a wide range of legal issues that victims may face, such as divorce, child custody, child support, immigration matters, government agency proceedings, and housing or financial matters.

Legal assistance includes: civil (excluding torts) or administrative matters; criminal justice investigations, prosecutions of the offender, and post-conviction matters that impact victims’ safety, privacy, or other interests; alternative dispute resolution, restorative practices, or other processes that promote victim safety, privacy, and autonomy, and offender accountability; and post-conviction relief proceedings in state, local, Tribal, or territorial court. Conducting intake or providing a referral alone is not considered legal assistance.

Eligible applicants to the LAV Program are: Indian Tribal Governments; private nonprofit entities with or without 501(c)(3) status, including publicly-funded organizations not acting in a governmental capacity, Tribal nonprofit organizations, and Territorial organizations; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; and private institutions of higher education. Law schools that fall under one of these categories are eligible to apply.

In addition, to be eligible to apply to the LAV Program, applicants are required to partner with:

  1. a nonprofit, nongovernmental or Tribal organization with the mission or purpose of providing direct services to victims of domestic or dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking
    1. the organization may be a multi-service organization with a distinct division or program with this mission or purpose; and
  2. a nonprofit, nongovernmental or Tribal organization with experience and expertise in providing legal representation by an attorney to victims of domestic/dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking
    1. Tribal governments may meet this requirement through a division or component with such experience/expertise, including lay (non-lawyer) legal advocacy if the project will serve victims in Tribal court matters only

Required Attorney Supervision and Mentoring Plans

LAV Program grantees must:

  1. submit to OVW a plan for supervising and mentoring attorneys, including staff attorneys, contract attorneys, and pro bono attorneys. The plan must explain supervision and mentoring Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA)‑accredited representatives, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)‑accredited representatives, and lay legal advocates who provide services in Tribal courts;
  2. regularly supervise any attorney with less than five years of experience who is working on a grant‑funded project, and provide access to urgent supervision when needed; and
  3. ensure that anyone providing legal help through a grant‑funded program, including people working for subgrantees, is either: a licensed attorney; working directly under the supervision of a licensed attorney; or a BIA‑accredited representative, VA‑accredited representative, or lay legal advocate in Tribal court supervised by a licensed attorney.

In addition, LAV Program grantees may need to work with OVW training and technical assistance providers to create their supervision and mentoring plans.

Sexual Assault Statutory Funding Priority: Survivors of sexual assault often have limited access to legal services and face unique challenges as they heal from trauma. To address this need, at least 25 percent of LAV Program funds must solely or primarily support legal assistance to sexual assault survivors. Projects that devote all activities or services to survivors of sexual assault and primarily (more than 50%) to those not involving an intimate partner may receive priority and may be eligible for additional funding.

Limitations on Funding: Training, other than for project partners, is not in scope with the LAV Program, and thus not an allowable use of grant funds.

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Updated April 6, 2026