Recently, we had the opportunity to sit down and chat with WLD member Kerry Hyatt Bennett. Kerry is Chief Legal Counsel for the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence. We are excited to honor Kerry and get to know her a little better!
Tell us a little bit about your practice.
Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) is the umbrella organization for direct service providers, shelters, transitional housing organizations, and Batterer’s Intevention Programs in Indiana. In my role, I act as general counsel for ICADV and for all of the organizations within the umbrella.
I also run our legal service program, which provides attorneys for survivors with emergency legal issues (such as a protection order where the offending party is represented by counsel). We are currently contracting with about 65 attorneys across the state to represent survivors who are referred via our local DV programs in legal proceedings. This program is critical because one of the ways that survivors are frequently abused is financially, and many abusers are able to secure counsel. Once an individual loses their autonomy, it is very hard to get back. This program helps survivors by providing them with counsel, and therefore a voice in court—necessary to regain some of their independence.
How has COVID-19 impacted your work?
Across the state, we have seen domestic violence-related fatalities rise by a staggering 181%since the start of the pandemic. This increase can be attributed to a lot of factors, including: systemic failure, , lack of affordable housing, access to firearms, economic stressors, desensitization to violence, and pandemic related isolation. When individuals are isolated, there is nowhere to go and no one to report. Unfortunately, as we have come out of lock-down, we have not seen that number go down. That signals a system failure to me.
What advice would you give to lawyers who want to make an impact in this area?
Participate in some national peer reviewed training on intimate partner violence and gender-based violence. Don’t assume you know it all, I certainly didn’t, and I still don’t. But I understand trauma is physiological and that it impacts how survivors process the world around them. If you don’t get that and adopt a trauma informed legal approach, you aren’t doing your best work. If you can't understand someone's story, and you can't tell their story.
I often say, "this isn’t glamour work, but it is good work." If you are looking for a place where you can get involved and make a real difference in someone's life, this is a great area.
As a recipient of the Antoinette Dakin Leach, why is mentoring and encouraging other women in the profession important to you?
It is important to me because I remember the pressure to be perfect at everything as a young attorney. I always tell young female attorneys, "you can do it all, just not all at the same time." When you think about it, its horribly unfair that that perspective doesn’t hit us until later on.
What do you do outside of work?
I read a lot; it seems to be my chosen escape and tool of self-care. I recently read an excellent book called "Quit Like a Woman" by Holly Whitaker, which provides a feminist perspective on trauma, mental health, and the patriarchal forces at play in the alcohol industry. I would recommend it to all female attorneys trying to be conscious about regaining their voice. I believe that in recent years, we have lost some footing as women in society. If we were each more mindful about reclaiming some of our own power, we would be doing our daughters and future generations of women a service.
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