Have Justice-Will Travel Inc

HJWT has a Southern Vermont office in Bennington and Rutland counties. The office is staffed by a full time attorney and a full time paralegal. The office is located in town for easy access for clients as well as providing on-the road services for more rural clients. Of all HJWT calls, this office provided 78 full services and 144 LEAP clients during this fiscal year. The attorney also travels to Rutland county which is adjacent to and North of Bennington once a week to provide legal advice and legal representation in the courtroom for clients who are requesting relief from abuse orders and other family court matters that they have. HJWT provides legal services to 70% of all victims that asked for a protection order in Souther Vermont. The southern office received a total of 425 calls from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. The Southern office is funded by a three year grant from US DOJ Office of Violence Against Women. This office has provided services since 2001.

HJWT provides program services in the North East Kingdom area in Vermont which serves Caledonia, Essex, Lamoille, and Orleans counties. The services are provided by a half time attorney and a paralegal client services coordinator that is housed in the Vershire Vermont office. With a total of 196 calls, the staff attorney provided full representation services for 34 clients. The Northeast Kingdomis the most rural and disadvantaged area in Vermont. Isolated living conditions and severely restricted resources combined with poverty, unemployment, and limited literacy, create a daunting set of obstacles for people trying to leave abusive situations. In many isolated Vermont villages, especially in the NEK area in Vermont, women are still seen as second class citizens whose purpose in life is to get married, raise children and be subservient to their husbands. HJWT gives abused women the opportunities, help them develop the skills they need, and encourage them along every step they need to take to become independent and self-sustaining.