NCJ Number
172820
Date Published
August 1998
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Attorneys play a variety of critical roles in the criminal and juvenile justice systems and frequently come into contact with crime victims in their work.
Abstract
For example, trust and estate attorneys encounter domestic violence victims and homicide survivors. Civil rights attorneys encounter victims of assault, rape, and hate crimes. Personal injury attorneys encounter victims of drunk driving crashes and other personal crimes. Attorneys need to understand the dynamics of victimization and they should know how to refer their clients to appropriate victim services. Promising efforts of the legal community to respond to the needs of crime victims are highlighted, with emphasis on increasing victim access to the criminal justice system, assisting victims of violence and abuse, and helping communities. Recommendations to improve the legal community's response to crime victims are offered. 11 endnotes