Civil Legal Aid for Victims of Crime

Victims of crime are often left with significant legal needs that result from their victimization beyond those addressed in the criminal legal system. The civil legal needs faced by many victims following a crime include child custody, child support, immigration, healthcare, and access to stable housing.

The Civil Legal Aid for Victims of Crime (CLAVC) Initiative is a statewide legal aid project created in 2017 to increase access to civil legal services for vulnerable crime victims.

MLRI provides programmatic coordination of the Initiative, which is supported by the Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance through a Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA) grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. MLRI serves as the co-manager of this initiative, along with the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation.

Over 24 legal advocates in programs across the state are providing legal services through CLAVC. The attorneys are based in 6 regional legal aid offices throughout Massachusetts well as 3 statewide legal aid programs

For more information, or to refer victim of crime to CLAVC, visit www.massclavc.org