Pro Bono Work to Empower and Represent (POWER) Act
The POWER Act was signed into law in September 2018 to help combat domestic abuse and sexual violence. The POWER Act mandates that each year the Chief Judge of each Judicial District across the country hold at least one event promoting pro bono legal services as a critical way to empower survivors of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault, engage citizens, and help lift victims out of the cycle of violence. The bill also requires that every two years an event be held in areas with high numbers of Native Americans and Alaska Natives, with a focus on addressing these issues among Native populations.
Resources:
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Montana Legal Services Association: Provides information on domestic violence including legal resources, stories, and news updates. An interactive resource map can be found at https://www.mtlsa.org/resource-map/.
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Montana Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence: Victim Service Programs by Region resource map available at https://www.mcadsv.com/victim-service-programs-by-region/.
In compliance with this act, the United States District Court for the District of Montana co-sponsors a yearly free CLE program generally in partnership with the School of Law, the State Bar of Montana, the Supreme Court of Montana, and the Montana Chapter of the Federal Bar Association to train attorneys from all practice areas to assist domestic violence survivors.
2024 Virtual POWER Act Event Video
Reference materials from previous POWER Act events: