Meghan Kempf

The Project

Meghan provided legal advocacy to domestic violence victims in Bexar County, Texas, to deter and reduce the growing number of violations of civil family law court orders through direct representation services and the development of a comprehensive community education program.

Meghan provided litigation services to enforce existing court orders for domestic violence victims, ensuring that victims receive promised safety and resources. Additionally, she developed and conducted comprehensive training for local law enforcement, legal profession-als, and victims to enable those parties to effectively identify and prevent violations of court orders. The desired outcome is not only to deter violations of court orders regarding domestic violence, but, more importantly, to enable victims and their families to achieve protection and stability.

Fellowship Highlights

During her Fellowship, Meghan:

• Provided full representation to 41 clients, the majority of whom sought protective orders, and enforcement and/or modification of existing civil court orders regarding conservatorship, child support, and property division
• Written more than 50 general advice and counsel letters to educate her clients about Texas family and domestic violence law, as well as other issues
• Established systematic referral relationships with Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, Inc. and the Crisis Response Team of the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD)
• Developed and presented domestic violence law workshops to various community stakeholders, including SAPD’s Special Victims Unit and Crisis Response team
• Co-presented “How to Effectively Represent Victims of Domestic Violence” with Equal Justice Works Fellow Sarah Loeffler at the 2014 Texas Poverty Law Conference
• Taught the weekly know-your-rights class to the residents of the Battered Women and Children’s Shelter of Bexar County