Law Degree As An Advocacy Asset: A Satisfying Transfer Of Skill And Experience

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Ed. note: This is the latest installment in a series of posts on motherhood in the legal profession, in partnership with our friends at MothersEsquire. Welcome Megan Rose to our pages. Click here if you’d like to donate to MothersEsquire.

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An interstate move in 2009 presented both a challenge (gaining admission to another bar) and an opportunity: to work for one year as a court watch program coordinator in the Domestic Violence Division in the Circuit Court of Cook County, in Chicago.

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What I expected to be a year of transition and preparation for lawyering in a new state instead became a catalyst for professional transformation from family law attorney to advocate for survivors of intimate partner violence. The opportunity to channel the survivor experience into systems change work offered me satisfaction unlike any I’d experienced representing individuals on a singular basis.

That’s not to say the work is easy. In this hard work of supporting survivors, I am often asked: “Why doesn’t she just leave?” A simple question with no easy answer.

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The reality of domestic violence is that leaving can be dangerous, and it’s difficult. I’m honored to be leveraging my law degree to make leaving an abusive relationship safer and easier by securing more financial stability for survivors.

Why Leaving Is Dangerous

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Abusers often go to extremes to prevent the victim from leaving. One study found in interviews with men who have killed their partners that either threats of separation by their partner or actual separations were most often the precipitating events that lead to the murder.

Why Leaving Is Difficult

Leaving an abusive relationship is complicated and requires careful planning as well as support to navigate the complex dynamics created by abuse, the stigma survivors experience, and the systems that punish them.

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Leaving without a plan and resources increases the likelihood a survivor may return.

Almost all (99%) survivors of domestic violence report financial abuse. Financial abuse can include forcing a partner to miss, leave, or be late to work; harassing a partner at work; controlling how money is spent; withholding money or basic living resources; giving a partner an “allowance”; stealing money, credit, property, or identity from a partner; or forcing a partner to file fraudulent legal financial documents or overspend on credit cards.

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A survivor may be forced to stay with an abuser because of financial dependence. In a 2012 survey, three out of four victims said they stayed with their abusers longer for economic reasons. Of the 85% of victims who returned to their abusers, a significant number cited an inability to address their finances. A 2005 study using data from a national telephone survey of 8,000 women about their experiences with violence found that women experiencing physical intimate partner violence victimization reported an average of 7.2 days of work-related lost productivity.

Many working women lack access to affordable childcare, equal pay, and paid family leave. For survivors, lack of access to these supports further increases their dependence on their abusive partner.

The most direct path to financial stability is the ability to obtain and maintain employment. Therefore, an engaged and informed employer is essential to a survivor’s financial stability and a successful workplace experience.

Making It Safer And Easier For Survivors To Leave

By empowering employers through consultation and training, our STANDING FIRM program is changing workplace culture and systems so that survivors may move toward financial independence, and closer to a life free from abuse. Since starting in the program director role in mid-July, I’m energized by evolving opportunities to address gender-based violence in the workplace:

• STANDING FIRM, an initiative that began in 2009, is poised to capitalize on national momentum. As of 2022, the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization now includes in its definition of abuse a description of financial abuse for the first time since its 1994 passage; additionally, the Women’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Labor is prioritizing the issue of gender-based violence in the workplace.
• The pandemic increased the need for prevention and intervention, as domestic violence increased in frequency, severity, and lethality during this time. Domestic violence remains a major public health concern across the country. For example, intimate partner homicides spiked by 22% in the five years from 2018 to 2022, Brady: United Against Gun Violence.
• Moreover, larger conversations about how employers ought to support the success of their workers, in areas such as mental health or racial equity, contribute to the growing expectations in our workplaces. As employers’ budget to support these needs, we are working hard to educate about the prevalence and impact of partner violence in the workplace — an issue that may not be as obvious to employers as other issues — yet may significantly impact talent retention and safety of the physical location.
• Finally, across the country, more jurisdictions than ever before are requiring employers to have policies in place. (Is your workplace compliant? Check here to find out.)

While law practice was not ultimately meant for me long-term, my experience in the legal field kick-started my involvement in advocacy efforts for survivors in the workplace. My access to referral networks through employment attorneys, along with my credibility with employers and other decision makers all started with my decision to earn a law degree.

By witnessing firsthand the injustices survivors experience in so many of our systems, I am motivated to help secure equity and relief for survivors from another angle — workplace consultation and training — to help those most directly impacted. If you are interested or required to develop or strengthen your workplace’s response to domestic violence, please contact us here to set up a free information session.

Megan Rose joined the Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh as Program Director of STANDING FIRM in July 2023. She is a committed, longtime advocate for survivors and in this role, will bring her years of experience working with organizations such as the National Council of Jewish Women (Pittsburgh Section) and United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Before returning home to Pittsburgh, Megan worked for and with survivors at The Network, as well as its member programs, in Chicago, Illinois. She brings knowledge on the issue of partner violence and a passion for social justice, especially elevating and supporting women. Megan is a licensed attorney with experience in nonprofit management and a passion for policy. She earned an undergraduate degree in Journalism from Ohio University and Juris Doctor from the University of Toledo College of Law.

Topics

Domestic Violence, Megan Rose, MothersEsquire, Public Interest