History
Client of the Teen Justice Initiative
(In reference to coming to the Women's Advocacy Project as a teenager needing a Protective Order against her abusive boyfriend.) -I feel that my Family and Myself are safer. -I no longer want to be in that [dangerous] postition and I don't want to be scared of someone who is supposed to love me. -I just want to say that my attorney Bronwyn Blake is my hero, she is the best, and if I can I would like to tell my story & encourage other teens to do and make the right decision.
In 1982, a group of young lawyers came together to form Texas Advocacy Project (The Project). The Project began as a hotline, operated out of Austin, Texas, with three volunteer lawyers cramped into a single small office, answering calls and sharing the daily administrative duties. Soon after publicizing its toll-free number, The Project was deluged with calls from women in abusive situations, trying to understand how the legal system could help them escape. Although originally operating as a general legal hotline, one thing quickly became clear: Domestic Violence was the main reason women in Texas were calling for legal help. So The Project set out to develop the specialized legal expertise we would need to provide that help. Over the next ten years, the Project grew and expanded its range of legal services, in addition to the hotline. We knew there was an urgent need across the state, and in the early 1990's, with the help of our collaborative partners, we began to meet that need in a new way. We put together a talented team of well-trained lawyers and started taking on clients. Today, we have nine areas of programming, helping thousands of Texans all over the state at no charge. With specialized knowledge in domestic violence legal issues, and a victim-empowering philosophy, the agency has evolved into a critical player in providing services to battered Texans. As the years progressed we adapted this expertise to include victims of sexual assault and are now able to run five separate hotlines; the Family Law hotline, Sexual Assault Hotline, Family Violence Hotline, Technical Advocacy Hotline and the Teen Justice Hotline.
