Heba Estafanous

The Project

Positioned at a distinctive crossroads between local and federal governance, the District of Columbia is one of the most unique and challenging areas to meet the legal needs of victims of crime. The District is home to approximately 672,228 people with diverse backgrounds who experienced 33,000 major crimes in the last year, including sexual assaults, fraud and identity theft, hate and bias related crimes, and crimes against immigrants. Further, one in four female college students will experience sexual assault during their college tenure; the District is home to eight universities. The District’s unique demographics, use of federal prosecutors, and intersecting local systems, create unprecedented challenges for survivors. 

Heba provided comprehensive legal assistance to campus sexual assault survivors, fraud and identity theft victims, survivors of hate crimes, and immigrant victims. Such legal assistance included civil legal assistance, crime victims’ rights advocacy, and Title IX representation and advocacy. 

Having clerked for two Associate Judges at the District of Columbia Superior Court, Heba has a nuanced understanding of the District’s unique jurisdictional challenges During law school, Heba pioneered the development the Cyber-Violence Project, a George Washington University Law School clinical program that provides legal assistance to survivors of cyber-stalking, cyber-harassment, and non-consensual pornography. During law school, Heba served immigrant clients fleeing gender-based violence. 

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