By Christy Avery
The Protective Order Project (POP) is a law student-directed project at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law that utilizes the skills and knowledge of law school students, volunteers and resources from Middle Way House and volunteer attorneys. Working with a volunteer attorney and a professor, law students help victims of domestic violence, harassment, sexual assault, and stalking obtain civil protective orders.
POP serves students and community members alike across six Indiana counties: Monroe, Greene, Owen, Morgan, Brown and Lawrence.
IU Corps sat down with Allyson McBride, a second-year Maurer School of Law student and member of POP to learn more about this project.
Q: What is Protective Order Project?
A: Protective Order Project is a student-run, pro-bono organization at Maurer School of Law. Pro bono work is work done for the public good, typically free of charge. It is directed by law students who work with a volunteer attorney and a professor. There are two parts to it, a class and a protective order clinic. Students in a class work alongside a professor during the hearing stage with the court. The volunteers work with current clients and intake new ones.
Q: What role does POP play in a protective order?
A: A protective order is a civil order of protection that is completely free to file, and it can be a better option than pursuing a criminal route. POP helps people at any stage of the process. POP helps those who are seeking more information about the process, those who would like to file, and provides support to those who have already filed. If there’s a hearing date set, POP can help prepare for the hearing and represent in that hearing.
“I think there’s a lack of knowledge about what a protective order is and what it can do. I think a lot of times we think about protective orders in a domestic violence situation, which it does absolutely apply to, but it can also apply for cases like stalking or harassment. I think there’s a lot of other relationships, if you’re having issues with them, you might not think a protective order could be for you, but it can be.”
Q: How do students bring a fresh perspective?
A: As law students, we’re training to make the legal system more accessible and less daunting for people. We have a lot of knowledge that we can share with our clients and providing that type of support system and access to knowledge about how the legal system works is beneficial to our clients because it helps them understand the legal system.
Q: What is your favorite part?
A: “Clinics and pro-bono projects give law students the chance to interact with real people and use the (law) knowledge and skills that we’re gaining to help people.”
Q: Finally, the Protective Order Project emphasizes victim empowerment – what does that look like?
A: Depending on what the situation is, a lot of times the client has experienced a loss of autonomy, or they’ve been in a situation where they are in fear of someone else. Victim empowerment gives [clients] the power to make decisions – they know their own situation better than anyone else. They live it every day, so there’s a lot of cases where we defer to their personal knowledge of their experiences, giving them the knowledge to make the decisions that will be best for them.
Do you know someone interested in becoming involved with POP or who might benefit from its services? To learn more about the Protective Order Project, visit the webpage today.
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