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Legal Advocacy and Immigration Legal Services

Updated December 1, 2021: A new law may impact many survivors who experienced a sexual assault prior to April 2018, reported the sexual assault to the police, and had a sexual assault evidence exam at a hospital.

To learn about this law and how it may impact you, please reach out to BARCC’s Legal Advocacy aprogram. We can provide you with free, confidential information about the new law and also provide assistance.

Also, if you have received a letter from the District Attorney about evidence that is stored, you may have some options on how to respond. Please reach out to BARCC’s Legal Advocacy program for confidential information and assistance.

To request legal advocacy services, you can call BARCC’s 24-hour hotline at 800-841-8371 or call BARCC's main office line at 617-492-8306 from 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Our legal team helps survivors understand their legal rights and options in the aftermath of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and other forms of sexual violence. We assist survivors as they navigate the civil and criminal legal systems, including campus processes. Our lawyers and advocates also assist with ongoing harassment or stalking. They advocate for survivors’ privacy and safety in every aspect of their life. If survivors need legal representation, we connect them with an appropriate legal resource.

BARCC offers services to survivors regardless of their immigration status, and now BARCC is able to offer more support to survivors related to immigration needs. We have an immigration attorney on staff to help survivors file for humanitarian immigration relief as well as consultation around some additional needs.

BARCC services are free and confidential to people ages 12 and older. BARCC Legal Advocacy and Immigration Legal Services are available in Spanish and English, with other languages available upon request. Reasonable accommodations will be provided.

What a legal advocate can do for you

Many survivors feel like they have no options, rights, or choices after an assault. Legal advocates can help you understand your options. Our advocates can offer information, support, and advocacy related to the following:

  • Protecting your privacy
  • Options for safety
  • Reporting to the police
  • The criminal justice system
  • Pursuing a case in civil court
  • Your school’s policies
  • Your employer’s policies
  • Your rights as an immigrant

What services do legal advocates provide?

Legal advocates can do the following:

  • Talk to you on the phone or meet with you in person, once or many times
  • Go with you to the police station
  • Go with you to court
  • Refer you to a lawyer

What immigration legal services does BARCC provide?

Our bilingual immigration attorney can do the following:

  • U visa representation
  • T visa representation
  • VAWA self-petition representation
  • General consultation regarding your immigration options
  • Referrals

Who are BARCC legal advocates?

Legal advocates are lawyers and rape crisis counselors with specialized legal training. They work with hundreds of clients each year. They work with the police, district attorneys, courts, schools, and other providers to ensure that survivors get the best possible response.

Our mission is to end sexual violence. We empower survivors of sexual violence to heal and provide education and advocacy for social change to prevent sexual violence.