About Her Justice

Connecting survivors, immigrants, and mothers in New York City with free legal help — a safer, freer future starts here.

Our mission

At Her Justice, we envision a world where women live safe and free lives.

When someone has to rely on the civil justice system to end abuse, reunite with family, or secure financial stability, they should have the power of a lawyer at their side — and a system that works.

We work towards this future by recruiting, training, and mentoring volunteer attorneys to provide free representation to survivors, immigrants, and mothers and by improving the laws and courts themselves so they work better for all New Yorkers.

A woman in a graduation cap and gown holds a toddler while standing outside.

Her Justice is committed to creating a more fair and functional civil justice system, so women can build safer, freer futures for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Learn more in our annual report

Our approach

Her Justice creates a more fair and functional civil justice system in two ways.

Direct Services

Providing free civil legal services in divorce, family, immigration, and coerced debt cases through pro bono representation — so women have the power of an excellent attorney at their side.

Policy and Advocacy

Advocating for policies that improve the system for women like our clients and all New Yorkers — creating change that reaches far beyond any single case.

Our “Pro Bono First” model is built on a simple idea: every person deserves an excellent lawyer.

We see a powerful role for the private sector in the pursuit of a city where New Yorkers can rely on the civil justice system to deliver fair outcomes in deeply intimate matters — providing a foundation to grow strong families and healthy communities.

That’s why we connect volunteer lawyers from top firms with survivors in need — and we have their back every step of the way.

Pro bono is a powerful tool to give our clients legal resources, skill, and strategy throughout their case.

A man in a blue shirt and striped tie sits at a desk, attentively listening to a woman whose back is to the camera. Office setting with a window in the background.

Two people walk side by side on a city sidewalk near tall buildings, both dressed in business attire. American flags hang on the building in the background. The scene appears to be in an urban downtown area.

Our pro bono model at work

Her Justice brings together talented private sector lawyers and our own matrimonial, family, and immigration experts — so that families aren’t left to face a complicated court system alone.

On average each year*

Her Justice lawyers mentor

2,000

volunteer attorneys reaching

6,000

women and children for a total of

60,000

hours donated unlocking

$40M

In value from
the private sector

*TEN YEAR AVERAGE

Our history

Her Justice was founded on a simple belief: justice shouldn’t depend on what you can afford. More than three decades later, Her Justice has served more than 45,000 women and children and grown into a leader in policy reform, expanding what’s possible for women and families across New York. And we’re not done yet.

Thirty Years at a Glance

While serving on the board of a domestic violence nonprofit, Cathy Douglass saw firsthand that the need for legal help far exceeded what staff attorneys could provide. With seed funding from Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, she founded Network for Women’s Services (now Her Justice) in 1993. This organization was animated by a new idea: pair private-sector lawyers with clients who couldn’t afford representation, while providing the training and support attorneys needed to succeed. That model continues to define Her Justice today.

1993

A Bold Idea Takes Shape

A woman with short hair smiles at the camera. She is dressed in a blazer over a blouse and is standing indoors, with one arm bent and resting against a surface. The image is in black and white.

In our inaugural year, Her Justice recruited and trained 6 firms to work on 30 cases — helping 70 women access the legal system at no cost.

1994

From Vision to Action

Two women stand at a podium with microphones. One is speaking while the other looks on. A banner behind them reads Network for Women with part of the text obscured. The setting appears to be a formal event or conference.

In 1995, Jackie Ekoumilong (pictured right) turned to Her Justice while experiencing abuse by her husband, a Cameroonian diplomat. Isolated without financial resources or family support in the United States, she faced extraordinary legal and diplomatic barriers. With the help of her volunteer attorney Lynn Judell (pictured left), Jackie ultimately secured sole custody of her son and became a U.S. citizen— an early example of Her Justice meeting complex, unmet legal needs.

1995

No Case Too Complex

Two women sit on stone steps, facing each other, with a young girl between them. The women appear to be in conversation, while the girl looks down. All are dressed in formal attire. A large bag sits near one woman.

By inviting clients to share their experiences through confidential interviews, Her Justice strengthened its understanding of what effective legal support looks like. The findings confirmed the organization’s pro bono model and helped shape future programs, grant proposals, and, ultimately, its client-informed approach to policy.

1998

Listening to Clients

Three women stand indoors, one holding a pen and clipboard while another points to it. All wear name tags and are engaged in conversation. The background features a tiled wall and countertop.

Her Justice launched its externship program in partnership with White & Case LLP, giving law firm associates the opportunity to spend six months working alongside Her Justice staff attorneys. Then and now, externs represent clients facing critical and complex legal challenges, handling active family, divorce, and immigration cases while building practical litigation and courtroom experience. More than 20 years later, the program remains a cornerstone of our work with attorneys from four partner firms participating each year.

2002

The Externship Program Begins

Five people in business attire stand close together at an indoor event, each wearing name tags. Two hold drinks. They face the camera and smile. The photo is in black and white.

The organization secured another landmark victory when a New York judge ruled that a custody order issued in the Dominican Republic could be reconsidered in New York — giving a Her Justice client a second chance to protect her children from abuse. All told, just ten years in, Her Justice had helped more than 5,000 women and children access free legal representation.

2003

Ten Years of Changing Lives

Childlike drawing of five people labeled Maria, Javi, Hector, Jose, and Sophie, with the handwritten words Thank You Together Forever above them. All figures are smiling and wearing similar clothing.

Her Justice began integrating social work principles into its legal advocacy, recognizing that legal representation alone isn’t always enough. Pictured above is Cathy Douglass (pictured right) with Her Justice social worker Giselle Pardo (pictured left).

2005

Supporting the Whole Client

Two women in business attire stand side by side, holding an award together. Both are facing the camera and smiling. There are glass awards and a bouquet of yellow flowers on a table in the background.

Her Justice attorneys helped draft and advocate for landmark legislation establishing New York’s first formula for calculating spousal maintenance in divorce cases. By replacing inconsistent, case-by-case decisions with a more equitable standard, the reform brought greater fairness and financial stability to lower-earning spouses — most often women.

2010

Making Divorce Fairer for All

A woman stands outdoors, smiling, with three children—two girls and a boy. The boy is being held in her arms. Trees and greenery are in the background. All four are looking at the camera.

After leading Her Justice for 20 years, founder Cathy Douglass retired, and Her Justice welcomed Amy Barasch as its second Executive Director. Drawing on her experience leading both New York City’s first Family Justice Center in Brooklyn and the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, Barasch expanded Her Justice’s reach in policy and systems reform.

2014

The Next Chapter of Leadership

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Her Justice secured the first published New York decision to hold that a spouse’s abusive conduct — including marital rape — could constitute “egregious conduct,” preventing an abuser from receiving a share of the marital assets. The landmark ruling transformed one client’s victory into a legal precedent that continues to protect survivors across the state.

2015

A Case that Changed the Law

A woman with straight black hair and a dark cardigan stands outdoors in an urban setting, smiling at the camera. Buildings, cars, and trees are visible in the background.

The organization secured another precedent-setting victory when an appeals court awarded client Shirley 95% of the family home after she survived a near-fatal assault by her husband — the first time a New York appellate court reversed a trial court’s property division because of a spouse’s egregious abuse.

2016

A Landmark Appeal Decision

Two women sit together on a red couch in front of a purple wall with floral art. One woman smiles with her arm around the other, who holds a teacup and saucer. Both face the camera.

As changes in federal immigration policy created fear and uncertainty for immigrant communities, Her Justice helped draft and advocate for New York’s Protect Our Courts Act, landmark legislation prohibiting civil immigration arrests in and around state courthouses. The law helps ensure survivors, witnesses, and families can seek justice without fear of detention or deportation.

2020

Protecting Access to Justice

A woman speaks at a podium with multiple microphones outside a government building, surrounded by a crowd of people standing and listening. Some hold banners. Journalists are present with cameras and recording devices.

As COVID-19 shuttered Family Courts, creating backlogs that would affect families for years to come, Her Justice published its first policy report. That report drew on original court observation data to identify barriers parents faced in child support cases and proposed practical reforms to improve both the process and outcomes for families. This marked the beginning of the organization’s data-driven policy research.

2021

Using Data to Drive Reform

A young child gently touches noses with an adult woman. Both have their eyes closed. In the upper right, a red banner reads Towards Justice for Parents in Child Support Courts..

Her Justice welcomed Lex Korberg as its third Executive Director. As a former law firm partner, Korberg brings deep ties to the private bar and an understanding of how and why firms do pro bono. They’ve dedicated their career to using the law to help people live safer, freer lives, including in landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases such as Edie Windsor’s successful challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act and Mississippi’s last abortion provider in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Today, Korberg is leading Her Justice into its next chapter — expanding the power of pro bono and advancing systemic change for women and families across New York.

2024

Welcoming Today’s Leadership

A person with short brown hair, glasses, and a dark suit jacket over a white collared shirt stands against a plain white background, facing the camera with a slight smile.

Recognizing that economic abuse can trap survivors long after an abusive relationship ends, Her Justice helped draft and pass New York’s landmark Coerced Debt Law. It gives survivors a path to challenge coerced debt incurred at the hands of an abusive partner. Now, creditors can pursue the right person — the abuser — and survivors aren’t left paying for their abuse.

2026

Protecting Survivors from Coerced Debt

A person holds a credit card and a phone. Overlaid text from CBS News mentions a new law about requiring abusers to pay credit card debt incurred by ex-partners, with a woman affected by $7,000 in debt.