ABA Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence

11/02/2026

Meet Our 2026–2027 Special Advisors, Fellows, and ABA Board of Governors Liaison!

The strength of the ABA Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence comes from the many individuals who contribute their knowledge, experience, and commitment to our shared mission.

Today, we're proud to recognize our three Special Advisors, Fellow, and ABA Board of Governors Liaison, each appointed through the ABA presidential appointments process.

Our Special Advisors bring valuable institutional knowledge, subject-matter expertise, and strategic guidance. Our Fellow brings fresh perspectives while actively participating in the Commission's substantive work. And our Board of Governors Liaison helps strengthen communication and connections between CDSV and ABA leadership.

We are grateful for the experience, leadership, and commitment each brings to the Commission and look forward to the work ahead together!

Learn more about these individuals and their backgrounds on our About Us page: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/domestic_violence/about-us/

10/30/2026

Get to Know the People Behind Our Work: Meet Our 2026–2027 Commission Members!

As the ABA Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence gathers today for its first official meeting of the 2026–2027 bar year, we are proud to introduce our 17 Commission Members, appointed by ABA President Barbara Howard!

Led by Commission Chair Maleaha Brown, this exceptional group brings a wealth of experience, expertise, leadership, and perspectives to our shared mission of increasing access to justice and safety for survivors of gender-based violence.

Together, they will help shape ABA policy, strengthen the legal profession's response to domestic and sexual violence, and advance the Commission's work through collaboration, education, and advocacy.

We are grateful for their commitment and excited about the work ahead!

And the strength of our Commission extends beyond its 17 members. We are equally grateful for our Special Advisors, Fellow, ABA Liaisons, and Community Liaisons, whose expertise, perspectives, and connections enrich our work and strengthen our collective impact. We look forward to recognizing them in the coming weeks!

Get to know the people behind our work! Visit the About Us section of our website to explore their biographies and learn more about the individuals contributing to the Commission's mission.

About us: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/domestic_violence/about-us/

10/28/2026

This Domestic Violence Awareness Month, turn awareness into action by supporting the ABA Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence on ABA Giving Day!

Your donation helps us provide specialized training, technical assistance, and practical resources that equip legal professionals to better represent survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Effective legal representation requires more than knowledge of the law. It requires an understanding of the dynamics of abuse, the safety challenges survivors face, and the specialized advocacy and litigation skills needed to provide trauma-informed, survivor-centered representation.

For more than 30 years, the Commission has worked to strengthen the legal profession's response to gender-based violence and expand access to safety and justice for survivors.

Please consider making a donation. Every gift, no matter the amount, helps us continue this essential work.

If you are unable to give, you can still make a difference by sharing this post with your networks. And if you have participated in our trainings, served as faculty, collaborated with us, or used our resources, we would love for you to share how the Commission's work has informed your practice or strengthened your advocacy.

Donate or share today: https://givingday.americanbar.org/campaigns/commission-on-domestic-and-sexual-violence-1

10/19/2026

Join the ABA Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence for Write & Tell Live, a book-club-style discussion series featuring authors whose works explore gender-based violence, survivor experiences, advocacy, and justice.
In this installment, we welcome Annie Seifullah, author of The Scarlet Hashtag: Turn Your Public Shaming into Power; attorney; survivor advocate; and member of the ABA Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence.

Drawing on her own experience surviving image-based sexual abuse and public shaming, Seifullah developed The Scarlet Hashtag, a practical, 10-step guidebook designed to help individuals navigate the trauma of public shaming, reclaim control over their lives, and move forward with renewed confidence and purpose.

In conversation with Emma Berman, ABA Young Lawyers Division Liaison to the Commission, Seifullah will discuss the experiences that inspired the guidebook, the strategies and lessons it offers, and what attorneys and advocates can learn about supporting survivors of image-based sexual abuse, online harassment, and public shaming through survivor-centered, trauma-informed approaches.

To register and to learn more: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/domestic_violence/events/write-and-tell-live/annie-seiffullah-live/

10/16/2026

We are still feeling the joy and inspiration of celebrating our 2026 Sharon L. Corbitt and Judith S. Kaye Award recipients!

Today, we are especially proud to recognize Judge Toni S. King, recipient of the Judith S. Kaye Award.

We invite you to watch this special video to learn more about Judge King and why her leadership, dedication, and commitment to advancing safety and justice for survivors make her so deserving of this recognition.

Please join us in celebrating Judge King and sharing her inspiring story!

Judge Toni S. King is the winner of the Commission's 2026 Judith S. Kaye Award for Judicial Excellence, which recognizes service by judicial officers who demonstrate knowledge of domestic and sexual violence and exemplary leadership.

09/16/2026

We are proud to announce the recipients of our 2026 Sharon L. Corbitt and Judith S. Kaye Awards.

Becki Kondkar, Director of the Tulane Domestic Violence Clinic and Women’s Prison Project, has been selected to receive the 2026 Sharon L. Corbitt Award.

Judge Toni S. King, Chief District Court Judge of North Carolina’s 14th Judicial District, has been selected to receive the 2026 Judith S. Kaye Award.

Through their leadership, service, and commitment to their communities, Becki and Judge King exemplify the values these awards recognize.

We look forward to honoring them at the 2026 Champions of Justice and Service Ceremony and Reception on October 15 in Chicago.

In the weeks ahead, we will introduce you to each of these remarkable honorees and the work that earned them this recognition.

Learn more about Becki Kondkar and Judge Toni S. King: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/domestic_violence/awards/

Please join us in congratulating our 2026 award recipients!

06/05/2026

This Pride Month, we honor the strength, resilience, and contributions of LGBTQ+ survivors, advocates, attorneys, and communities across the country.

LGBTQ+ individuals experience domestic and sexual violence at significant rates and often face unique barriers to safety, support, and justice. As we celebrate Pride, we also reaffirm our commitment to advancing equity, promoting access to legal protections and services, and supporting efforts to ensure that all survivors are treated with dignity and respect.

The ABA Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence stands with LGBTQ+ communities and remains dedicated to fostering a future where every person can live free from violence and discrimination.

05/20/2026

If you were not able to join us live for the first Write and Tell conversation of the year, we invite you to watch the recording of our discussion on Recantation and Domestic Violence: The Untold Story.

Author and longtime Commission member David Martin joined Amy Bonomi, PhD, MPH, for a thoughtful conversation about the complexities of recantation, the ways survivor experiences are often misunderstood, and the importance of bringing greater context and understanding into our legal systems and responses. Dr. Bonomi’s groundbreaking research on recantation and coercion has helped shape the field’s understanding of these dynamics, including the widely recognized five-stage model explored in the book.

The discussion was moderated by Commission member Patricia Astorga, and we are grateful to Patricia, David, and Amy for helping create such a meaningful conversation.

If you were not able to join us live, we hope you will take time to watch the recording linked below.

We are pleased to welcome authors David Martin and Amy Bonomi for a compelling discussion exploring the complex realities of domestic violence cases in which victims later withdraw, alter, or recant their statements.

05/15/2026

We all know someone whose leadership, compassion, and commitment have strengthened the response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

The Corbitt and Kaye Awards are an opportunity to recognize those individuals and celebrate the impact they make every day.

The Sharon L. Corbitt Award honors a lawyer from any area of practice whose service and leadership have improved the legal response to gender-based violence.

The Judith S. Kaye Award for Judicial Excellence recognizes judicial officers who demonstrate deep knowledge of domestic and sexual violence and outstanding leadership in developing effective courtroom responses.

Please help us recognize the people whose work too often happens quietly, but whose impact is profound.

We encourage you to nominate a colleague, mentor, community partner, or judicial leader whose work deserves recognition.

Nominations are due Friday, May 22, 2026, at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.

04/03/2026

We are so proud to celebrate Ruth Perrin, who has been named a 40 Under 40 Best LGBTQ+ Lawyer by the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association.

At the ABA Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence, our mission is to mobilize the legal profession to increase access to justice and safety for survivors, and Ruth brings that mission to life every day. Her compassion, dedication, and commitment to advancing equity for LGBTQ+ communities strengthen our work and inspire others.

This honor is incredibly well deserved. Congratulations, Ruth!