i4J Releases New Action-Centered Research and Tools to Address Unmet Legal Needs of Domestic Violence Survivors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
University of Arizona Law Marketing & Communications: law-marketing@law.arizona.edu
Innovation for Justice (i4J): info@innovation4justice.org
TUCSON, Ariz. — October 1, 2026 — As communities mark Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October, Innovation for Justice (i4J) at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law is highlighting a critical, often overlooked barrier facing domestic violence (DV) survivors: widespread unmet legal needs that exacerbate safety risks and systemic harm. i4J has launched a comprehensive suite of action-centered research, public-facing policy tools, and state-level partnerships designed to transform how survivors access legal help, navigate complex court systems, and secure long-term safety and stability.
According to national findings from the research, survivors face severe, compounding civil legal problems—most frequently concerning protective orders, child custody, divorce, and housing—yet the vast majority receive inadequate or no legal assistance. Multiple system failures contribute to this problem: unauthorized practice of law (UPL) restrictions that prevent anyone but a lawyer from providing legal help to survivors; complicated court processes make it difficult for survivors to navigate the legal system without counsel; and survivors and DV organizations are not often included in legal regulation decision-making.
i4J’s strategic framework targets systemic reform by evaluating legal needs through the lived experiences of survivors and frontline advocates. By centering these perspectives, the cross-disciplinary social justice design lab is advocating for modernized legal regulations and accessible technology to broaden the scope of legal help available to survivors. i4J’s theory of change focuses on three disruptive strategies: Service, creating new legal service models so more people can know the law; System, improving justice sector technologies so more people can use the law; and Structure, Building tools for policy advocacy so more people can change the law.
Structure - Actionable, Public-Facing Toolkit: This national research demonstrates that current legal regulations restrict domestic violence advocates to providing basic "information" rather than tailored "legal advice," leaving survivors without the critical representation or guidance necessary to navigate legal systems safely.
"Rigid legal regulations have limited the aid that trained domestic violence advocates can offer survivors when they need it most," said Professor Cayley Balser, Director of Research. "By grounding our research in advocate and survivor insights, we are demonstrating how unauthorized practice of law reform and targeted advocate education can create scalable, community-based solutions to the justice crisis for DV survivors."
Advocates emphasize that they are already trusted community partners positioned to deliver timely support, with over 90% expressing strong interest in receiving formal legal training to provide limited-scope legal advice on critical issues like custody and protection orders. Because access to civil legal help directly improves survivor safety—for example, increasing the rate of granted protection orders from 32% to 83% – advocates view unauthorized practice of law (UPL) reform and expanded legal training as an essential, trauma-informed step toward meeting survivors’ legal needs. To ensure academic findings drive practical impact, i4J has paired its research with a jurisdiction-agnostic UPL Reform Toolkit (uplreformtoolkit.org), which offers judicial leaders, legal reformers, and advocacy groups a practical roadmap to safely expand the scope of legal services provided by those already positioned to help, including DV advocates.
Supporting the public-facing toolkit is a new series of academic publications focusing on UPL reform and the expansion of community-based legal advocate roles:
Aligning UPL Reform and Legal Education for DV Advocates: What DV Advocates Want and Need in an Expanding Scope of Service, 59 UIC L. Rev. 395 (2026).
Unauthorized Practice of Law Reform and Domestic Violence Advocacy: Advocate Perspectives on Legal Training, 3 Neb. J. on Advancing Just. 3 (2026).
Protecting Who? The Disconnect Between Domestic Violence Survivor’s Legal Needs and the Legal Help Available in the Information/Advice Framing of Unauthorized Practice of Law Regulation, Missouri Law Review (forthcoming, 2027).
System - Statewide Technology Innovation: Developed in partnership with Innovation for Justice (i4J) and the National Center for State Courts, Wisconsin's Civil Protection Order (CPO) portal transforms how domestic violence survivors seek urgent legal relief. By replacing confusing legal terms, outdated interfaces, and a complex multi-step process involving disconnected tools with plain-language instructions, guided questionnaires, and auto-save safety features, the portal walks survivors step-by-step through the petition filing process. This trauma-informed design reduces errors, eases cognitive overload for individuals in crisis, and ensures survivors can independently and safely secure court protection without navigating daunting procedural barriers alone. Three other states have adopted or plan to adopt similar technologies as part of this project, and i4J authored Civil Protection Order Portal Design: Designing Safe and Usable Online Protection Order Portals to help other jurisdictions apply design best practices learned during this project to their own portal designs. Learn more at innovation4justice.org/portal-design.
Service - Trauma-Informed Legal Help for Survivors: Since 2019, i4J has been at the forefront of developing specialized, trauma-informed legal education for community-based organization staff and volunteers. As the nation’s first DV-focused Justice Worker program, the landmark “Certified Community Legal Advocate” (CCLA) program provides (1) online learning, (2) ongoing attorney mentorship, and (3) continuing education to trusted community advocates, empowering them with the skills needed to aid with critical family law issues. Domestic violence-focused CCLAs help across the lifespan of a survivor’s case and are authorized to deliver life-saving legal advice, guidance with court forms, and in-court support. By integrating legal problem-solving within social service settings, i4J’s community course bridges historic siloing between social services and civil legal help by ensuring survivors receive accessible, trauma-informed help when it's most-needed.
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About i4J: Innovation for Justice at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law is a virtual social justice innovation lab that creates new, replicable, and scalable strategies for legal empowerment. i4J works to build a future where the legal needs and goals of all peoples are met, where justice is realized by a diverse ecosystem of actors, and where legal power is accessible, usable, and shapeable by everyone. To learn more about i4J’s initiatives or to access its research, visit innovation4justice.org.
About the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law: The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law stands as a pioneering institution, offering an unparalleled educational journey in legal studies. With a commitment to practical training, a legacy of accomplishment, and an environment that fosters growth, the College of Law is dedicated to preparing individuals for success in the legal arena and beyond. For more information, visit law.arizona.edu.