Victims'' Rights Clinic

This initiative is intended to support or expand on federal, state, local, and tribal efforts to enforce crime victims’ rights. The overarching goals of this initiative are to provide victims with crime victims’ rights enforcement; raise awareness about crime victims’ rights among prosecutors, criminal justice professionals, attorneys, the local bar, law students, advocates, and other allied professionals working with victims; and to expand the body of professionals who will advocate for the enforcement of crime victims’ rights.

This award made to The South Carolina Victim Assistance Network’s Legal Department (“SCVAN”) is funded under OVC FY2020 Crime Victims’ Rights Legal Clinics and is designed to empower victims and survivors of crime across South Carolina by providing no-cost holistic legal services, including consultations and representation in state and federal courts, regardless of a person’s income or financial status. SCVAN is a key provider of technical assistance and training for victims’ rights enforcement and other post-victimization legal issues to victim advocates, attorneys, judges, law enforcement, non-profits, and other community partners. The funding of the Victims’ Rights Clinic will sustain SCVAN’s presence in the Low country of South Carolina, enhance direct legal assistance, technical assistance, and training in criminal law, and expand the department to include a dedicated appellate practice. SCVAN will be able to provide more direct services to victims and survivors through its increase in case capacity and the creation of new case law for victims’ rights and their enforcement.

CA/NCF