SistersGeographic

Photo of Hamra Ahmed, Director of Law and Policy at Her Justice

Her Justice: Women Empowering Women

by Carliese Wright

In 2007, Laverne Pierre was stabbed repeatedly at home by her former husband in front of their two children. “The first pierce... was right above my heart and all I can remember is seeing the knife going in and I held on for dear life,” says Pierre in an interview for herjustice.org.

Thankfully, Pierre discovered Her Justice, a nonprofit organization based in New York City that provides free legal services in matrimonial, family and immigration law to local women-in-need. Through the lawyer that Her Justice provided to Pierre, she was able to safely escape her destructive marriage through legal means.

To say Pierre is grateful for Her Justice's help would be an understatement. “They stood with me through all of this and made sure I reached the end and gave me hope,” she says with a huge smile.

For the last 28 years, Her Justice has represented people like Pierre, disenfranchised women who otherwise would not have the finances to hire a top-notch lawyer to represent themselves. The reputable nonprofit provides these free legal services to impoverished women through a model they call 'pro bono first.' It involves recruiting volunteer lawyers from premier law firms throughout New York City to provide legal support for Her Justice clients.

Many of these lawyers do not have backgrounds in marital, family or immigration law, but soon become experts in these fields after being trained by one of Her Justice's in-house lawyers. In 2020 alone, 14 highly qualified Her Justice lawyers mentored and trained 1,765 volunteer attorneys, who in turn helped 6,900 women (and by extension, their children) navigate the complicated New York City legal system. These statistics are particularly impressive considering the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was at a peak in the U.S. at the time.

The majority of Her Justice's clients are minorities, women that are the most underrepresented group in court who rarely get the aid necessary to succeed. “We recognized they needed support, not only to get started, but through the duration of the case,” says Hamra Ahmed, Director of Law and Policy at Her Justice.

Her Justice works to “shift the power” by producing positive results that are “equitable, empowering and efficient. “When we do that, we begin to break down systemic barriers that are built into our civic justice system, barriers that reinforce and exacerbate gender, racial and economic imbalances,” according to herjustice.org.

Her Justice is able to provide free legal services not only with the help of volunteer lawyers, but also through donations that pay for full-time staff and operational expenses. And the nonprofit makes a buck go a long way; each dollar donated equates to about eight dollars of free legal services.

Everyday Her Justice works toward their mission to improve the lives of New York City women living in poverty, one pro bono attorney at a time. If you are interested in donating your time or talent, please visit herjustice.org.