Sexual Violence
From immigration to intimate partner violence to worker’s rights, sexual violence is too often part of the story.
Experiencing sexual violence (e.g. rape, forced sexual experiences, sexual abuse as a child, sexual assault in the military, sexual harassment etc.) is often traumatic. A traumatic event may be a shocking, scary, life- threatening, or dangerous experience that affects someone emotionally and physically.
The reaction to trauma—and/or need to escape the danger of sexual violence—can lead to a range of issues that require a lawyer’s help. Civil legal redress can range from an immigrant seeking safety through asylum laws to a veteran needing legal assistance to challenge an “other than honorable” discharge related to sexual trauma they experienced in the military to a worker seeking justice from a sexual assault that happened on the job.
#TimesUp
NYLAG was one of the first legal services organization to receive #TimesUp funding to represent workers earning a low wage who were sexually harassed.
Services
Our lawyers stand with all survivors, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, in their pursuit of safety and justice. We continue to grow and evolve in our understanding of trauma and aim to offer trauma-informed legal services to survivors. Here is how our lawyers can help:
- Helping immigrants apply for asylum and petition for immigration relief to protect a survivor of sexual violence
- Assisting survivors with crime victim compensation claims to seek reimbursement for medical and counseling expenses, lost wages, and other costs they incurred as a result of their victimization
- Filing sexual harassment claims to combat discriminatory work environments
- Assisting survivors of sexual trauma in the military get the benefits they deserve and upgrading their discharges if needed
- Working with survivors of intimate partner violence to obtain orders of protection, custody of children, and other remedies through family court in recognition that sexual violence is often a tactic used by abusers against their partners
Need free legal services or financial counseling?
Help us provide free legal services to survivors of sexual violence.
NYLAG is part of the solution to end sexual violence:
Domestic Violence Awareness Month | ReThinkAccess ReThinkSystems
The last 18 months have exacerbated many barriers that survivors face when attempting to access justice. Many of the survivors we have spoken to during the pandemic have complained of increased barriers, including lack of language access, lack of access to technology and childcare, and heightened mistrust of the legal system and the police.
Testimony: VA’s Increasing Shift to Independent Contractor Exams Harms Trauma Survivors
NYLAG’s Samantha Kubek challenges the inadequacies of the Veterans Affairs’ independent contractor examinations, particularly for veterans suffering from mental health concerns.
After controversial event on sexual assault support, VA postpones future telephone town halls
NYLAG’s Samantha Kubek condemns the Veterans Affairs recent telephone town hall discussion on military sexual trauma stating that it shows “deep-seated problems.”
