About Us

About the Project

Victims' Rights Advice is an interactive website designed to provide general information about hate and bias crimes in the United States, and victims of hate and bias crimes in Oregon can obtain no-cost general legal advice regarding their rights in connection with criminal case investigation and prosecution. The website was created maintained and supported by the National Crime Victim Law Institute (NCVLI) and Pro Bono Net.

NCVLI recruits volunteer attorneys to answer questions that have been submitted to the Portal by victims of hate crimes in the supported states. Currently, Oregon is the only supported state.

History

Hate and bias crimes do not victimize only the immediate victim; they are meant to threaten and intimidate an entire community and send messages to the victim's communities that they are unwelcome and unsafe. In recent years, hate crimes have steadily increased throughout the United States. In 2022, the FBI reported the highest number of hate crimes since they began tracking. Faced with the growing challenge, NCVLI searched for an innovative solution to provide additional support to victims who usually face the criminal justice system unrepresented. The project received a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. NCVLI developed the project in partnership with Pro Bono Net. After significant development and testing throughout the summer of 2024, the website is scheduled to go live in Fall 2024.

About NCVLI

The National Crime Victim Law Institute (NCVLI) is a section 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal education and advocacy organization based at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. NCVLI actively promotes comprehensive and enforceable legal rights for crime victims and access to knowledgeable attorneys to help protect those rights in every case, through victim centered legal advocacy, education, and resources.