U.S. Department
of Justice
Legal Assistance For Victims Program
ALERT: On Sept. 9, the Justice Department announced 55 Legal Assistance for Victims Program awards totaling $39.63 million for the 2023 fiscal year, and 8 Expanding Legal Services Initiative awards totaling $3.19 million. Learn more
The 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 legal services extend beyond representation in emergency and non-emergency protection order hearings to address the broad spectrum of legal issues that victims encounter, including family matters such as divorce, child custody or child support, immigration, administrative agency proceedings, and consumer or housing matters.
“Legal assistance” includes assistance to adult and youth victims of sexual assault, intimate partner domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, and dependents of victims where necessary for the safety of the victim, in: a) family, tribal, territorial, immigration, employment, administrative agency, housing matters, campus administrative, or protection or stay away order proceedings, and other similar matters; and b) criminal justice investigations, prosecutions, and post-trial matters (including sentencing, parole, and probation) that impact the victim’s safety and privacy. 34 U.S.C. §12291(a)(19).
Eligible applicants are limited to: private nonprofit entities; publicly funded organizations not acting in a governmental capacity; territorial organizations; Indian tribal governments; and tribal organizations.
In 2022, the LAV Program gave out 59 awards, totaling over $35.6 million.
Once posted, the solicitation to apply for this program can be found on OVW’s website. Members of the public can also sign up for notifications on that website, and grant announcements are posted to OVW’s Twitter.
This program is authorized by 34 U.S.C. § 20121.
Information About the New ELSI Initiative
In FY 2023, LAV will support an Expanding Legal Services Initiative (ELSI) to develop legal programs to serve victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking at organizations that do not currently offer legal representation. Eligible applicants will be non-profit organizations, tribal governments, tribal organizations, or territorial organizations that do not currently have programs or divisions providing legal representation but propose to establish programs to provide legal services to victims. Priority consideration will be given to applications for which the lead applicant is a culturally specific organization.
The Justice Grants System (JustGrants) is the Department of Justice's grants management system. Through the JustGrants portal, you can:
- Sign on to your account
- Access training resources
- Get user support
- Find answers to frequently asked questions
- Sign up for the JustGrants Update e-newsletter
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| Peace at Home Family Shelter | Fayetteville | Arkansas | $600,000 |
| Center for Community Solutions | San Diego | California | $800,000 |
| Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse (CORA) | San Mateo | California | $400,000 |
| Inland Counties Legal Services, Incorporated | Riverside | California | $600,000 |
| Jenesse Center, Incorporated | Los Angeles | California | $600,000 |
| Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice | Los Angeles | California | $800,000 |
| Peace Over Violence | Los Angeles | California | $600,000 |
| Tahirih Justice Center | San Bruno | California | $400,000 |
| Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence | East Hartford | Connecticut | $800,000 |
| Ayuda | Washington | District of Columbia | $600,000 |
| Break the Cycle | Washington | District of Columbia | $400,000 |
| Mosaic Georgia, Incorporated | Duluth | Georgia | $800,000 |
| Tahirih Justice Center | Atlanta | Georgia | $600,000 |
| Life-Span | Des Plaines | Illinois | $600,000 |
| Metropolitan Family Services | Chicago | Illinois | $600,000 |
| Prairie State Legal Services, Incorporated | Rockford | Illinois | $600,000 |
| Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault | Des Moines | Iowa | $700,000 |
| Monsoon Asians & Pacific Islanders in Solidarity | Des Moines | Iowa | $599,923 |
| Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response (STAR) Center | Baton Rouge | Louisiana | $800,000 |
| Tulane University, Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund | New Orleans | Louisiana | $599,231 |
| University of Southern Maine | Portland | Maine | $600,000 |
| University of Maryland, Baltimore | Baltimore | Maryland | $600,000 |
| YWCA of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County | Arnold | Maryland | $599,023 |
| Community Legal Aid, Incorporated | Worcester | Massachusetts | $600,000 |
| Greater Boston Legal Services | Boston | Massachusetts | $600,000 |
| Community Health and Social Service Center, Incorporated | Detroit | Michigan | $599,404 |
| Legal Aid and Defender Association, Incorporated | Detroit | Michigan | $599,966 |
| Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians | Dowagiac | Michigan | $517,458 |
| Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault | Duluth | Minnesota | $675,272 |
| St. Paul & Ramsey County Domestic Abuse Intervention Project | St. Paul | Minnesota | $600,000 |
| Legal Services of Eastern Missouri | St. Louis | Missouri | $600,000 |
| Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault | Kansas City | Missouri | $700,000 |
| Montana Legal Services Association | Helena | Montana | $600,000 |
| Sanders County Coalition for Families | Thompson Falls | Montana | $490,484 |
| 180 Turning Lives Around | Hazlet | New Jersey | $575,000 |
| Center for Hope and Safety, Incorporated | Rochelle Park | New Jersey | $550,000 |
| New Mexico Immigrant Law Center | Albuquerque | New Mexico | $500,000 |
| New Mexico Legal Aid | Albuquerque | New Mexico | $600,000 |
| My Sisters' Place, Incorporated | White Plains | New York | $400,000 |
| Pace University | New York | New York | $575,000 |
| Queens Legal Services Corporation | Jamaica | New York | $540,000 |
| Pisgah Legal Services | Asheville | North Carolina | $600,000 |
| Community Violence Intervention Center, Incorporated | Grand Forks | North Dakota | $500,000 |
| Native Alliance Against Violence, Incorporated | Norman | Oklahoma | $597,849 |
| University of Oregon | Eugene | Oregon | $400,000 |
| Congreso de Latinos Unidos, Incorporated | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | $595,762 |
| Domestic Violence Service Center, Incorporated | Wilkes-Barre | Pennsylvania | $600,000 |
| Women Against Abuse, Incorporated | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | $599,060 |
| Womens Resource Center, Incorporated | Scranton | Pennsylvania | $600,000 |
| South Carolina Victim Assistance Network | Columbia | South Carolina | $599,997 |
| Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence | Nashville | Tennessee | $800,000 |
| West Tennessee Legal Services, Incorporated | Jackson | Tennessee | $600,000 |
| Houston Area Women's Center | Houston | Texas | $600,000 |
| SafeHaven of Tarrant County | Arlington | Texas | $600,000 |
| Women's Center of Tarrant County, Incorporated | Fort Worth | Texas | $600,000 |
| Utah Legal Services | Salt Lake City | Utah | $550,000 |
| LifeWire | Bellevue | Washington | $479,977 |
| End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin | Madison | Wisconsin | $600,000 |
| Legal Action of Wisconsin | Milwaukee | Wisconsin | $600,000 |
| Wisconsin Judicare, Incorporated | Wausau | Wisconsin | $600,000 |
| Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault | Laramie | Wyoming | $800,000 |
| Total Award Amount | $36,543,406 | ||
| Total Number of Awards | 61 | ||
For awards issued before 2020, you can visit our grant awards program page.
Contact Us
If you have questions about the Legal Assistance For Victims Program, you can email us or call 202-307-6026.