Speakers: Nancy Lemon, Co-Founder and Of Counsel/Special Projects. Michael Holecek, Board of Directors. Thao Weldy, Development Director
Nancy Lemon: I'm Nancy Lemon, one of the founders, co-founders of Family Violence Appellate Project in 2012. 1st, I was the legal director and now I'm semi retired and I work on special projects from time to time. I support FVAP because we provide an essential service for safety and justice. That is, free appeals in cases where the trial courts have made serious errors that often endanger survivors of abuse and their children. These appeals can prevent more abuse and can even save lives.
Thao Weldy: As a non attorney, several things strike me as unique about the Family Violence Appellate Project. First, we leverage the resources and expertise of private law firms and law schools to help end domestic violence. In 2023 alone, volunteers donated 9638 hours of pro bono legal services on behalf of survivors across California and Washington. By tapping into this extensive volunteer network, We're able to extend the reach of our legal aid to more survivors without significantly increasing operational costs. The Family Violence Appellate Project is also the first and only organization in these states dedicated solely to appealing dangerous trial court decisions for domestic violence survivors. Our services are trauma informed, designed to empower and engage survivors while navigating a legal system that is often neither empowering nor accessible.
Thao Weldy: The most rewarding part of working with the Family Violence Appellate Project is knowing that our collective efforts of staff, volunteers, donors and community partners are making a real immediate impact on the lives of survivors. Not only are we saving lives today, we're also contributing to the creation of case law that does not happen automatically. Together and with your support, we are actively pursuing legal protections for survivors and their children for generations to come.
Michael Holecek: Hi, my name is Michael Holecek I'm a lawyer at Gibson Dunn and also an FVAP board member. I first got involved in FVAP as an associate working on pro bono appeals with FVAP. It was a tremendous way to get appellate experience and I highly recommend it to big law firm associates. It's also the most fulfilling work I've done. FVAP does a great job of vetting cases and finding the appeals that will have the most impact on survivors rights. The staff is amazing and FVAP's track record of success is unparalleled. Whether it's by volunteering, donating money or working on an FVAP appeal, I highly recommend getting involved.
