2015 spring president's report- final

8/21/2019 2015 Spring President's Report- FINAL

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Highlights of Leg

This Workplace Is a DV-Free Zone

Domestic and Sexual Violence in

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study found that 35% of batterers had contavictims to abuse them during the workday aused office resources (work phones, compufor that purpose.

In 2015, every employer should be prepareto do when an employee is a victim of violeMomentum reviewed dozens of DV workplaincluding those used by the federal and statgovernments, to create This Workplace IsZone , a streamlined, easy-to-understand, aimplement model policy. This Workplace I

Zone includes all of the key ingredients of aworkplace policy, including why it is necessaccommodations, benefits, and confidentialivictims; disciplinary action for perpetrators;extending unemployment insurance to victithey are not able to remain employed safely

Legal Momentum also created a poster thatall “DV-Free Zone” workplaces will display. Ipoint Bil l of Rights alerting employees that vnot be tolerated at the workplace, and thatwill assist their employees who are victimssexual, or dating violence or stalking. We aremployers to post this Bill of Rights prominworkplaces. It is available for download frowebsite and should be posted along with nocovering anti-discrimination and harassmenwell as job opportunities for employees.

On April 17, Legal Momentum presented aexplain the new model policy to more thanadvocates, legal professionals, state agenciprivate employers. The recorded webinar cviewed on Legal Momentum’s website or on

r website at www.legalmomentum.org and click the

New York, NY 10004 212.925.6635 www.legalmom

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Legal Momentum Joins Cuomo’s

Legal Munions iviolencepushingimplemevictimsassaulttreated

campus

Legal Momentum Educates on Ge

In spring 2015, Legal Momentum presentedvolunteers and activists, to law enforcement

We Are Gender Justice Warriors!

Carol Rofor Wom“Webina

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On Janua webinar titled The Intersection of StalkingStalking Resource Center at the National CNational Center for Victims of Crime and ot

decade that help victims of crime. The webiadvocates, prosecutors, law enforcement ofsexual assault. It explained how professionaccountable. The recorded webinar can be

Legal Momentum’s New Presiden

On Mayfirst bondefine inmemberimportanAdvisoryprofessiemergingroup crto suppoFor inforfriends

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New York, NY 10004 212.925.6635 www.legalmom

Enough Is Enough” Initiative on Camp

mentum joined more than 30 advocacy groups, coGovernor Andrew Cuomo’s “Enough is Enough” c

on college and university campuses in New York Stfor passage of the Governor’s bill to ensure that allnt uniform and comprehensive policies to prevent shen it does occur. “We must do more to end the han college campuses,” said Governor Cuomo. “Thess the crimes that they are—no matter whether they

s—and that’s why the legislature must act.”

nder Justice, Stalking, and Sexual Assa

several informative webinars for audiences rangingprofessionals, to victim advocates, lawyers, and hu

bles-Román presented Gender Justice Warriors: Cen and Girls for the Association of Junior Leagues Ir Wednesday” series. In the online presentation, whi

nts nationwide, Carol told her personal story of worBloomberg, Sonia Sotomayor, and other powerful leal Momentum uses the power of law to advance worsonal Power Principles” that help women becomeaking risks, trusting your gut, being ready for changness, and finding mentors, advocates, and partnersreputation. The recorded presentation can be view

and Sexual Assault

ary 28, 2015, Legal Momentum’s National Judicialand Sexual Assault . The presenter was Michelle Gnter for Victims of Crime. Legal Momentum has woer local and national advocates to develop policy pr

ar, which was attended by over 350 professionals,ficers, and educators, explained how stalking is oftels can use this information to help victims be safe aiewed on Legal Momentum’s website or YouTube

’s Advisory Council

8, the Advisory Council held itsfide meeting in New York City to

itial initiatives and ways fors to commit time and talent to thet work of Legal Momentum. TheCouncil members invitenals, advocates, and otherleaders to join this new affinity

eated to support each other andrt the work of Legal Momentum. mation on how to join, emaillegalmomentum.org.

onate button.

entum.org

s Sexual Assault

munity organizations andmpaign to combat sexualate. The campaign isolleges in the statexual violence and support

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To donate online, please visit our website at www.legalmomentum.org and click the Donate button.

5 Hanover Square, Suite 1502, New York, NY 10004 212.925.6635 www.legalmomentum.org

Ending Sexual Exploitation of Women and Children

On May 11 and 12, Penny Venetis, our Executive Vice President and Legal Director,provided her expertise in human trafficking and human rights law at The WorldSummit: End Sexual Exploitation 2025 , a conference sponsored by the CarterCenter in Atlanta. The Carter Center was founded by former President Jimmy Carterand former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, toadvance peace and health worldwide.

“The most serious human rights violation on Earth is the abuse of women and girls,”

former President Carter said at the summit. The meeting’s purpose was to devisecreative legislative, grassroots, and litigation strategies with the goal of endinghuman trafficking in the next ten years. The two-day, invitation-only event featuredpanel discussions and reports from activists around the world, including police, social welfare, and business leaders aswell as trafficking survivors.

“The world must be awakened to the sex trafficking industry. I would like to see every city and state in the U.S. adopt theNordic Model,” said former President Carter. The final recommendations resulting from the summit included adoption ofthe Nordic Model in the United States and elsewhere: criminalizing the purchase of all forms of commercial sex, andincreasing law enforcement efforts to hold perpetrators accountable, as recommended by Penny’s committee.

Amicus Briefs in 3 Key Cases in the U.S. Supreme Court

Supporting Victims of Domestic Violence in Texas DHCA v. Inclusive Communities

Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project , which the Court heard onJanuary 21, 2015, centers on victims of domestic violence who are being evicted from public housing if they make toomany calls to police. Legal Momentum’s brief argues that housing discrimination against domestic violence victims is aform of gender discrimination that has devastating consequences. The brief emphasizes that women should not have tochoose between their safety and their housing.

Supporting Women in Non-Traditional Occupations in Mach Mining v. EEOC

Legal Momentum submitted a brief educating the Court on how delays can have dire repercussions for women facingdiscrimination, especially in occupations, such as construction and mining, where discrimination can result in unsafeconditions for women. Mach Mining, LLC v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission , which the Court heard on

January 13, 2015, challenges the requirement that the EEOC must try to conciliate (resolve outside of court)discrimination cases before filing suit against employers. Employers often use this requirement to delay resolvingdiscrimination claims.

Supporting Pregnant Workers in Young v. UPS

Having led the effort that urged the U.S. Supreme Court to take Peggy Young’scase against UPS, Legal Momentum is pleased that the Supreme Court’sdecision, released on March 25, 2015, reversed the lower courts’ rulings andupheld key provisions of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA). The decisionmade clear that federal law mandates employers to accommodate pregnantwomen on the same terms as everyone else, but also that stronger federallegislation is still needed. The case arose when UPS refused to accommodatePeggy Young (an airmail delivery driver whose doctor imposed a lifting

restriction due to her pregnancy) even though its policy already provided forlight-duty accommodations in cases of employees in many other situations.Legal Momentum has argued in courts in support of Ms. Young since 2012. Priorto the Supreme Court hearing the case, Legal Momentum filed an amicus brief inthe U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and a second brief in support ofYoung’s efforts to persuade the Supreme Court to take her case, as well as anamicus brief in the Supreme Court.



To donate online, please visit our website at www.legalmomentum.org and click the Donate button.

5 Hanover Square, Suite 1502, New York, NY 10004 212.925.6635 www.legalmomentum.org

Legal Momentum People and Programs Honored for Work to End Violence Against Women

American Bar Association 20/20 Awards Bestowed on 3 Current and Former Legal Momentum LawyersThe American Bar Association Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence (CDSV) has recognized the work of LegalMomentum attorneys in drafting and passing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and its three reauthorizations.Legal Momentum’s Vice President for Government Relations, Lisalyn Jacobs, and two former Staff Attorneys, SallyGoldfarb and Julie Goldscheid, are among 20 visionaries to be honored by the ABA with a 2015 “ 20/20 Vision Award” thissummer. The award honors trailblazers who played an instrumental role in mobilizing the legal profession againstdomestic and sexual violence by their efforts for VAWA and the creation of the CDSV 20 years ago and today.

Carol Robles-Román Named 2015 “Ford Public Voices Fellow” In a highly competitive process, Carol Robles-Román was chosen as a 2015 “Ford Public Voices Fellow.” The FordFoundation Public Voices Fellowship is part of a national initiative by The OpEd Project, in partnership with leadingacademic institutions and foundations, to dramatically increase the public impact of our nation's top thought leaders. TheFellowship is supported by the Ford Foundation’s Women’s Human Rights Initiative. The Public Voices Fellows areconsidered one of the most powerful networks for impact in the nation.

PLEN Honors Legal Momentum V.P. Lisalyn JacobsThe Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN) introduces college women to role models, career paths, and skillstrainings before they enter the workforce. On the occasion of PLEN’s 35th anniversary, Legal Momentum’s Vice Presidentfor Government Affairs, Lisalyn R. Jacobs (an alumna of the program), was honored for her outstanding contributions topublic policy, including helping to pass the landmark Violence Against Women Act and its several reauthorizations. Lisalynreceived an award on March 18 at an event hosted by former Congresswoman and Ambassador Connie Morella and

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton.NJEP Wins Annual “Celebrating Solutions” Award from the Mary Byron ProjectThe Mary Byron Project awarded Legal Momentum’s National Judicial Education Program (NJEP) its 2014 CelebratingSolutions Award. This award recognizes NJEP’s groundbreaking effort to educate judges and justice system professionalsabout the intersection of sexual assault and domestic violence and its critical implications for the safety of victims and theirchildren. NJEP has developed an extensive interactive web course titled Intimate Partner Sexual Abuse: Adjudicating ThisHidden Dimension of Domestic Violence Cases , published articles and training curricula, and educated thousands of judges and other professionals on the topic. All of NJEP’s resources on adult victim sexual assault can be accessed atwww.njep.org. The Mary Byron Project was established in memory of the young woman whose tragic murder led to thecreation of automated crime victim notification technologies.

Legal Momentum in the News

• Legal Momentum’s Executive Vice President and Legal Director Penny M. Venetis wrote an opinion piece in TheGuardian calling for an end to the endemic gender bias in FIFA, the governing body of international soccer.

• The Guardian quoted Legal Momentum’s President and CEO, Carol Robles-Román, extensively in an article thatpointed out the “sad irony” that the confirmation of Loretta Lynch—a national leader in fighting human trafficking—asU.S. Attorney General, was delayed by partisan differences over an important anti-trafficking bill.

• Until Safety Is Guaranteed: Women and the Fight against Violence, an exhibition at the Schlesinger Library, highlightsLegal Momentum’s pioneering legislative achievements in drafting and passing the Violence Against Women Act.

• An article in National Law Journal on Ellen Pao’s Silicon Valley discrimination case by Legal Momentum boardmember and Stanford law professor Deborah Rhode pointed out the entrenched cultural patterns that must change.

• The Civil Rights Advocacy Blog recapped the saga of Montana v. Baugh , where Legal Momentum was instrumental inoverturning a shockingly light sentence in a statutory rape case and censuring the judge who imposed it.

•

Fortune magazine’s story on how the new executive perk of “maternity coaching” helps retain top female talent quotedCarol Robles-Román and was featured in The Broadsheet email newsletter.

• North Country Public Radio of upstate New York featured comments and analysis by Legal Momentum’s Senior StaffAttorney Christina Brandt-Young in several installments of its December 2014 series on campus sexual assault.

• Legal Momentum’s President and CEO, Carol Robles-Román, co-authored a Miami Herald OpEd piece calling on theObama administration to end the detention of immigrant mothers and children.

• Numerous articles on the Young v. UPS Supreme Court case and on the Survivor Outreach and Support Campus Actalso mentioned Legal Momentum’s work in the areas of pregnancy discrimination and legislative advocacy.

2015 spring president's report- final

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