Voices Against Violence Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 22, 2016

First Lady Michelle Obama was featured speaker at
DC Volunteer Lawyers Project’s annual benefit, Voices Against Violence

 The First Lady spoke to a sold out crowd at the residence of the Japanese Ambassador on April 20^th;
Hogan Lovells received the Champion of Justice Award

 Washington, D.C. – First Lady Michelle Obama, a Harvard-educated lawyer, was the featured speaker at DC Volunteer Lawyers Project’s annual benefit, Voices Against Violence. DCVLP’s volunteer lawyers provide a voice in court for domestic violence victims and at-risk children in Washington DC.

The First Lady is no stranger to the importance of volunteering and working on behalf of others in the community. She volunteered  at a legal clinic for the poor during law school and was the a founding executive director of the Chicago chapter of an AmeriCorps program, Since becoming the first African-American First Lady, she has advocated for empowering young women and girls around the globe. At the benefit on April 20, she spoke to a sold out crowd at the home of Japanese Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae and his wife, Nobuko Sasae.

Voices Against Violence Co-Chairs and board members Kathleen Biden, a long-time supporter of DCVLP’s work, and Tisha Hyter, a survivor of domestic violence, introduced the First Lady. Co-Executive Directors, Karen Barker Marcou and Jenny Brody, presented T. Weymouth of Hogan Lovells, with DCVLP’s Champion of Justice award for its pro bono work on behalf of domestic violence victims.

In describing the importance of DCVLP’s work, Ms. Barker Marcou said “stopping the cycle of violence is important not just for the women, but also for the children growing up in abusive homes. Protecting the children makes them less likely to go on to be abusers themselves.”

Ms. Brody noted that DCVLP volunteer lawyers “are the heart and soul of DCVLP” and helped over 1700 victims and at-risk children in 2015 alone.

The event was attended by nearly 500 guests including Senator Chris Coons, Congresswoman Gwen Moore, Carrie Bettinger-Lopez, White House Advisor on violence against women, Dr. Sachiko Kuno, and fashion designers Tracy Reese and Byron Lars.  Philanthropist Adrienne Arsht, who funds DCVLP’s Arsht Law Fellows program, provided a generous matching gift.

About DC Volunteer Lawyers Project: DCVLP, with over 1,600 registered volunteer attorneys, provides free legal assistance and social services to domestic violence victims and at-risk children in Washington, DC. Last year, DCVLP volunteers helped almost 1,700 of the most vulnerable people in the community achieve safety and stability by providing representation in civil protection order, custody, divorce and child support cases, and serving as advocates for at-risk children. With community partners, DCVLP also provides holistic services at a weekly Domestic Violence Resource Clinic, changing the trajectory of survivors’ lives, and connecting them with tools for a fresh start.

More Information: For more information, visit www.dcvlp.org.

Additional photos are available upon request.

# # #