Empowering Women — Combatting Economic Abuse in a Pandemic
An interview with Amy Barasch
Intimate partner violence is not limited to physical violence and can take many other forms, including emotional, psychological, and financial. Financial abuse can encompass identity theft, the accrual of debt in the victim’s name without their knowledge or consent, the subsequent default of that debt, or having no access to the couple’s financial information. For low-income women in abusive relationships, a key component of escaping the abuse is achieving economic security. Amy Barasch, Executive Director of Her Justice, explains the legal and advocacy tools available to help survivors leave abusive relationships and economically empower them to start their lives anew. She discusses how lawyers can assist in divorce and obtaining support payments and work authorizations for immigrants.
Her Justice provides free civil legal services to women living in poverty in New York City. Through their pro bono first model, they mentor and train volunteer attorneys and pair them with women who have legal needs in family, matrimonial, and immigration law.
Additional Resources
Recorded 12/4/20
About Amy Barasch
“Intimate partner violence is really about power and control. So if you think about the physical abuse as a tool of power, it helps better understand the totality of what partner violence looks like.”
Amy Barasch is the Executive Director of Her Justice. Her Justice is a nonprofit organization that provides free legal services to women living in poverty in New York City. Through their pro bono first model, they mentor volunteer pro bono attorneys and pair them with women who have legal needs in family, matrimonial, and immigration law. Amy is responsible for leading the organization, defining its strategic direction, hiring and managing the staff and liaising with all key stakeholders and board members. She has devoted most of her career to the issue of women’s rights, in particular intimate partner violence, at nonprofits, government agencies, and law firms. Until 2012, Amy served as the Executive Director of the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, the only State agency of its kind. Amy has published and spoken publicly about gender bias and partner violence throughout her career. She has served as Chair of the NYC Bar Association’s Domestic Violence Committee, as a member of the New York State Domestic Violence Advisory Council, and as a member of the NYS Sentencing Commission. Amy is currently co-chair of the New York City Bar Association’s Pro Bono Committee and an adjunct professor at Fordham Law.
