Grant ends for nonprofit legal service.

Byline: Bill Bishop The Register-Guard

The Domestic Violence Clinic, a nonprofit legal service for low-income victims, learned this week that it no longer will receive a federal grant that has been its mainstay since the clinic opened in 1999. The loss will cut services by about half within a month.

The clinic helps 400 clients annually in legal matters such as divorce, child custody, and restraining and stalking orders against abusive partners.

It works in cooperation with the University of Oregon Law School, Sexual Assault Support Services, Lane County Legal Aid Service and Womenspace.

Federal officials did not indicate why the two-year, $250,000 Violence Against Women Grant was not renewed, clinic Director Ann Kneeland said Friday.

"It's a pretty devastating loss for the community, for the low-income victims of domestic violence," Kneeland said. "I think people are just really saddened."

Third-year law students will continue helping clients through the end of the year, and the clinic has other funding sources for its outreach work to rural areas and to the Latina community, officials said.

"This means that by the end of October, there will be fewer attorneys and lay advocates working on protective orders and safety planning for women," said Laurence Hamblen, executive director of Lane County Legal Aid Service in an e-mail announcing the cutback. "This has been a hugely successful program. This clinic has been a big part of our project to stop violence against women."

But clinic officials are not giving up just yet. Instead, they are hoping to find local funding sources.

"We can't go without a fight. We will be working on alternatives," Kneeland said. "What I hope is the community understands how important these services are to the entire community. I hope people see the larger impact. These are problems that affect us all."