Casa Myrna

Casa Myrna’s Legal Advocacy Program (LAP) was founded more than 30 years ago to provide domestic violence survivors from under-resourced communities with legal services that are pro bono, culturally and linguistically appropriate, and guided by expertise in the dynamics of domestic violence. LAP seeks to meet the unmet needs of our community’s most vulnerable survivors by making legal information and advice easily accessible via our highly responsive Legal HelpLine and at community locations where survivors may first turn for help. We strive to provide services in a safe and supportive environment that demonstrates a commitment to each survivor's right to receive information and resources in order to make their own choices. LAP is also committed to improving community and systemic responses to domestic violence, and to that end provides training to external stakeholders from a range of disciplines and engages in ground-breaking and dynamic collaborations with local hospitals, law school clinical programs, and community organizations.

One of Casa Myrna’s core strengths as an organization is that our staff demographics mirror those of the communities we serve. Over 81% of our staff identify as members of racial or ethnic minorities, 70% are bicultural/bilingual, and 60% identify as survivors. The cultural, linguistic, and lived expertise staff bring to the agency are a vital resource in developing outreach materials, public awareness campaigns, and the culturally appropriate programming that forges strong connections with BIPOC and immigrant communities within Greater Boston. We are also through the first year of a two-year engagement with an equity coaching firm to deepen our understanding of anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to refine how we practice these values across our agency.