Anna Bninski ‘23
Staff Editor
Professor Geri Greenspan spoke on Wednesday, September 16, giving a talk for the Domestic Violence Project that kicked off the educational aspect of the organization’s mission this year.
“It’s not what most people picture when you think of court.” Professor Greenspan, who has spent a lot of time in the Charlottesville and Albemarle Juvenile & Domestic Relations District Court, described an environment that’s typically pretty chaotic—and the work of helping survivors of intimate partner violence to navigate that chaos. (Unfortunately, it’s only one of the massive number of hurdles survivors have to face.)
Professor Greenspan has represented survivors of intimate partner and sexual violence for ten years, and she brings that experience to the class she’s teaching this semester: Gender-Based Violence: U.S. Law and Policy. She provided the audience with a crash-course in domestic violence issues in her talk.
Intimate partner violence, as Professor Greenspan defines and encounters it in her work, is “a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner. Abuse is physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological actions or threats of action that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that frighten, intimidate, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, injure, or wound someone.”
Professor Greenspan contrasted that on-the-ground definition with Virginia’s statutory definition of “family abuse,” which focuses on individual acts that include violence, force, threats, stalking, and sexual assault. She emphasized that while only having to prove one abusive act is to the advantage of survivors seeking an emergency protective order, “where you get one act you always have a pattern. It doesn’t come out of the blue.”
Though legislation about intimate partner violence is a complicated and contested topic, Professor Greenspan expects to see an expanded statute in the next few years.
“Obviously the laws are only as good as the people who are applying them,” she said, observing that judges working within the law can make good use of the tools available, such as including financial provisions within a temporary protective order. “Some judges think, ‘This is a protective order, it’s not about money, it’s about safety.’ But money is safety . . . having a house is safety. It keeps you safe from the world, [and] from having to return to your abuser.”
Leaving an abusive relationship, Professor Greenspan explained, is only the first step in what is generally a long and difficult process: Survivors often hope they can take care of all the legal aspects quickly, but divorce and custody arrangements come slowly and can be dragged out by the other party. And that’s on top of the uncertainty that many survivors face when it comes to simple needs like housing and employment.
“[Intimate partner violence] affects every age, every race, every gender, gender identity, sexuality, socioeconomic status, religion,” Professor Greenspan emphasized. She has worked with clients from a wide range of backgrounds, including many immigrants from around the world, and the same patterns appear. “People will say the exact same thing in a hundred different languages . . . no matter where they’re coming from, I can relate to their story, because it’s the story I hear everyday.”
On the topic of hearing stories, Professor Greenspan spoke to the need for everyone—the Law School community very much included—to reach out to any family or friend whom they believe may be affected by domestic violence. “Let them know that you’re ready to talk whenever they are ready,” she said. Professor Greenspan also suggested offering concrete support if needed, such as helping the person involve the authorities, offering them a place to stay, or making sure that they’re able to tap into resources like the local Shelter for Help in Emergency (434-963-4676).
The discussion ranged over many more topics than can fit in this article: the intersection of domestic violence with concerns about policing and immigration status; extracting legally compelling facts from the stories of clients; the developing understanding of trauma and its effects; need for diversity in service providers; and a community network to support survivors with logistics and finances.
The talk was just an opening event for DVP. For those who don’t know, DVP is a student pro bono project focused both on education and direct service. While programs like Wednesday’s talk and further upcoming events during Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October make up the educational side, DVP’s pro bono work continues despite the pandemic.
“The Domestic Violence Project is pleased to continue its long-standing relationship with the Charlottesville Commonwealth's Attorney's office,” said Morgan Maloney ’22, who is spearheading DVP’s COVID-era pro bono project. “As in years past, students are working with the attorneys in the office to help prepare case summaries for domestic violence cases. This semester all volunteering is being done completely remotely. Moving to virtual volunteering was not the smoothest transition but, thanks to the patience and dedication of our volunteers and the Commonwealth's Attorney's office, we are starting to develop a more streamlined system. The strength of our domestic violence prevention community in Charlottesville has allowed us to continue this crucial work even in unprecedented times and with new challenges. I am so thankful for our volunteers and especially for their understanding and grace as we all try to navigate this new system.”
DVP President Alex Karahalios ’21 summarized DVP’s forthcoming work. “We are also currently researching ways to expand our pro bono efforts beyond the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, create a policy initiative, and adjust our philanthropy efforts to be the most effective they can be in a virtual world. We are already very impressed and encouraged by the participation and interest we have seen from new students and hope to continue that enthusiasm throughout the year.”
Anyone interested in DVP’s pro bono work should definitely get in touch.
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amb6ag@virginia.edu