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Pro Bono Program |
Shining Stars - Quotes from Pro Bono Attorneys
“I have immense respect and appreciation for the Victim Rights Law Center. The Rape Survivors' Law Project and my law firm, Foley Hoag, have collaborated on sexual assault and domestic violence cases since 2001. The perpetrator often takes away the victim's identity and tries to de-humanize her, in order to be able to continue to victimize her. Victims need a lot of help recovering from that. Providing them with quality and compassionate free legal help is often the first step along their journey. We must continue to advocate on behalf of sexual violence and domestic assault survivors. We must do all we can to help victims reclaim their lives, starting with their safety, privacy and dignity. By carefully piecing back together their lives, our hope is that victims can begin to feel valued, respected and loved, which ultimately is what is desired by all of us.”
“This past year I represented (along with Elaine Herrmann Blais of this office) a survivor who had been brutally raped as a teenager, a college freshman, in 1989. After the rape, she had identified and testified against an alleged perpetrator who had been convicted and jailed. Some 10 years later, that man was exonerated through DNA evidence and the work of the Innocence Project of New York. Thereafter, the real perpetrator, who was identified through the State's DNA Bank, was on the verge of release from prison. The case received national media attention and was the subject of numerous articles and documentaries. In the wake of this, our client received tremendous pressure, from the media and others, to come forward and testify against the real perpetrator. She was so tremendously grateful for our stepping in and bearing the brunt of the communications on this painful subject. I learned that rape victims can and do feel traumatized all over again if approached on issues in an aggressive fashion.”
Since joining the Rape Survivors’ Law Project, she has observed that “Survivors are immediately at a disadvantage due to the trauma they have already endured, and so require an extraordinary amount of legal support and advocacy. My clients approach the legal system in a defensive mode and sometimes feel re-victimized by the system. On a personal level, what I've contributed from a legal point of view I've received back tenfold from the appreciative women I've met and worked with. I can't tell you how rewarding I have found this work to be.” |
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Rebecca Cazabon, Esq. is a graduate of the George Washington University Law School who began volunteering with the RSLP in 2001. As staff attorney for Foley Hoag's pro bono program, she coordinates and manages the pro bono work of many of the firm's attorneys. Rebecca also represents domestic violence survivors in Massachusetts district courts, probate and family courts and superior courts, as well as before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Her value to the RSLP is particularly significant and multifaceted, through direct representation of clients, pro bono recruitment, and pro bono training. Ms. Cazabon received the 2007 Shining Star award.
Brenda
Sharton, Esq. a partner at Goodwin Procter’s
Litigation Department, practices extensively in the area of general
business litigation, with a particular emphasis on intellectual
property and banking litigation matters. She serves as Vice-Chair
of 
Kristin
Sbarra-Hartman, Esq. is a graduate of Boston University
Law School and an Associate at Bonner, Keirnan, Trebach & Crociata.
Previously she was a criminal defense attorney. In her current
practice, she focuses on insurance litigation, tort law, and
premises liability for her firm. In 2001-2002, Kristin handled
five different cases for the Rape Survivors’ Law project
and represented five individual rape survivors. Kristin's peers
recognized these efforts by honoring her with the 2002 Shining
Star award.