Speakers: Deborah Son, Executive Director
Deborah Son: My name is Deborah Son and I have had the amazing honor of serving as the Executive Director with the Family Violence Appellate Project for the past six months. I'm a survivor, I've been in the movement to end gender-based violence for nearly two decades, and I'm truly grateful to be a part of this tremendous mission to advance justice for all survivors.
In your own words, what is FVAP's mission?
Deborah Son: What we do was born out of necessity, but we challenge and overturn dangerous court decisions that place survivors and their families at risk. My favorite part of working at FVAP is precisely that. That we center survivor needs and further leverage our learnings to advocate that those most impacted by domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence can rely on justice systems to provide true justice in the ways that they deserve without barriers and without further harm. The system cannot and should not be an extension of the trauma. It is FVAP's mission to redefine justice and act to ensure its equitable access.
What are some lesser known facts about yourself?
Deborah Son: Some lesser known facts about me are that I am particularly passionate about my service to the public because of the many ways in which my parents instilled in me values of giving and gifting to the world in which we live. I walked several pathways to get to the place I am today. And I've learned that what inspires me in my work can also sustain me. My strategies in taking care of myself in this work are my investments and exercise, my family, and my two dogs. I love nature and have a deep appreciation for the sense of connection and inner connection between communities and the lands we occupy.
What are you excited to share about FVAP?
Deborah Son: I am so incredibly excited to share that FVAP is in a pivotal phase of its trajectory. In the past 11 years, we've learned how to provide core appellate services in the states of California and Washington that are central to the ways in which we advance state level legislation, strengthen case law, establish statutory protections, and ensures fairness and equity in supports. We also honed our capacity to allow us to not only represent clients but build the human capital necessary to tackle the needs for survivor justice by educating our community partners, survivors, and litigators as a collective movement. There are very few gender-based violence appellate legal aid models throughout the nation. And we at FVAP are working diligently to help define this model of care that allows other legal advocates to be inspired, gain the tools necessary, and spurs this pathway for broader positive impact. FVAP is just beginning and there is much more to come in the ways we will continue to advocate for survivors to attain true justice.
