For many survivors, becoming a victim of intimate partner violence may be their first introduction to the legal system. This experience can be complicated, frustrating, intimidating and often insulting. Attorneys are sometimes in the best position to ethically provide remedies and resources for survivors and their families. Characteristics as well as the dynamics of power and control will be discussed. In the first session, presenters will facilitate the Comings and Goings exercise which is an interactive exercise that helps judges and attorneys identify the challenges survivors and their children face while identifying the complex reasons a survivor might choose to remain in or return to an abusive relationship.
Speakers: Hon. Kelly C. Broniec, Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, St. Louis; Hon. Jason D. Dodson, 21st Judicial Circuit, St. Louis; and Kelly H. Martinez, MOCADSV, St. Louis