Beginning in April, Catholic Law’s Families and the Law Clinic (FALC) joined together with Georgetown’s Domestic Violence Clinic and George Washington’s Family Justice Clinic to help support victims of domestic violence. Together, the clinics developed the Domestic Violence Helpline in order to address the special challenges exacerbated by the pandemic.

The three institutions staff the hotline on a rotating basis, and it runs Monday through Friday, 10-2 pm. The goal of the hotline is to assist pro se petitioners—those who are arguing on behalf of themselves—helping them to draft and file petitions, providing advice about evidence and testimony for trial, connecting individuals with safety planning and shelter resources, and providing referrals to domestic violence legal services.

Director of Columbus Community Legal Services (CCLS) shared, "a number of FALC students have graciously continued to volunteer after the semester ended to the present time," assisting with the continued operation of the hotline until its planned end date in mid-June.