About

Domestic Violence Institute - Our History

In the summer of 1990, Professor Clare Dalton started a law school clinic to meet the legal needs of women subjected to abuse. Dalton developed and funded the Domestic Violence Institute (“DVI” or “the Institute”) at Northeastern University School of Law, which she directed until 2005. At the time of its creation, domestic violence clinics were rare.

The DVI is an education, service and research organization dedicated to combating partner abuse. It provides direct advocacy services to individuals in abusive relationships, both in court and in a variety of community locations where they first turn to for help. The institute engages in research dedicated to understanding violent relationships, understanding the strategies people use to cope with violence, understanding how the legal system has contributed to the problems faced by people in abusive relationships, and exploring the effectiveness of legal and other interventions.

Simultaneously, the involvement of law school students and faculty in community-based programs can be beneficial to community abuse prevention programs, which are typically understaffed and lacking in both supervision and training resources. The Institute embraces a set of philosophical and pedagogical principles for teaching students to work with individuals who are victims of abuse. These principles include a commitment to client-empowering advocacy, so that clients can articulate and advance their own legal strategies and resolutions in both their individual cases and as members of their communities.

While DVI’s efforts are concentrated in inner-city communities adjacent to the law school, its work also has a national focus. Through research, the DVI contributes to the national understanding of domestic violence, society’s responses to it, and the development of more effective strategies to support those impacted by it.

The Domestic Violence Institute is composed of two programs: the Legal Assistance to Victims Project and the Domestic Violence Clinic.

What is the Domestic Violence Clinic?

The Domestic Violence Clinic (“Clinic”) is centered in Dorchester District Court, where second- and third-year law students assist in all stages of the restraining order process: meeting with clients, client-directed case preparation, hearing representation, safety planning, and accessing relief authorized by the state's protective order legislation. In addition, Clinic students work on a range of collateral matters that impact decisions made by people experiencing abuse. These include: housing appeals, divorce and child custody cases, legal referrals, and accessing social and health services, such as therapy.

To provide this holistic advocacy, the Clinic teaches client-centered, collaborative lawyering. Clinic students: (1) encourage clients to make key decisions; (2) advise clients based on the clients’ needs; and (3) acknowledge the importance of clients’ feelings in the counseling process. The Clinic also teaches students about the concept of intersectionality — how identities like race, class, sexual orientation, geographic location (urban, suburban or rural), disability status, religion, immigration status — affect a person’s experience of abuse.

In recent years, the Clinic has expanded its services to other underfunded communities such as Roxbury and Quincy, increasing its representation and advocacy. The Clinic also assists community-based domestic violence organizations in long-term projects related to policy, programming and outreach. The Domestic Violence Clinic has fostered community partnerships with organizations such as Casa Myrna and Boston Medical Center