Trauma-Informed Training

If you are an OVW-funded (or funding eligible) attorney or advocate, visit our training page.  

Representing survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and stalking requires more than legal knowledge. It requires an understanding of trauma, an ability to build trust with clients, and the skills to navigate sensitive conversations while protecting clients’ well-being, avoiding re-traumatization, and advancing their legal interests. 

Drawing on more than 20 years of experience providing civil legal services to sexual assault survivors, VRLC offers customized training to help private law firms build trauma-informed practices to strengthen their client representation and support their teams working with survivors. 

Training topics include: 

• Client Intake and Engagement: Create intake processes that recognize the impacts of trauma, prioritize safety and confidentiality, and help survivors feel heard and respected from the first interaction and throughout legal representation. 

• Trauma-Informed Client Interviewing: Develop practical skills for conducting sensitive, effective interviews that build trust, support client autonomy, and elicit relevant information without re-traumatizing clients. 

• Trauma-Informed Client Advocacy: Learn strategies for communicating with survivors, understanding their needs and priorities, navigating challenging client interactions, and providing effective, client-centered legal representation. 

• Vicarious Trauma and Professional Well-Being: Understand the impact of working with clients who have experienced violence, recognize signs and symptoms of trauma exposure, and develop strategies to support individual and organizational resilience. 

With experience serving survivors in civil legal settings and training thousands of professionals for over 20 years, VRLC brings a depth of practical knowledge to help your team approach this work with greater confidence, competence, and care. Email us to request training for your team.