October marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a reminder that the fight for safety and justice is far from over. Domestic violence remains one of the most pervasive human rights issues in our country — affecting 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men.

Each statistic represents not just harm endured, but systems that failed to protect. FVAP exists to change that trajectory. Through our appellate victories, policy reforms, and training initiatives, we are reshaping how courts interpret and apply the law to better safeguard survivors and their children.

In the past decade, FVAP’s work has contributed to more than 75 published appellate decisions strengthening legal protections for survivors — a dramatic shift from fewer than ten when we began. These outcomes are not just legal milestones; they are lifelines that directly influence trial court rulings, reshape precedent, and close gaps in justice that too often re-traumatize survivors.

As legal and political landscapes grow more volatile, FVAP’s role as a stabilizing force has never been more critical. Our commitment remains unwavering: to ensure that justice happens the first time — not after years of appeals, loss, and harm. We invite our community to join us in sustaining this work with the rigor, integrity, and foresight it demands. Justice cannot wait.

Deborah Son
CEO/Executive Director | Family Violence Appellate Project

As part of our commitment to building a stronger, more informed movement for justice, FVAP staff are leading conversations nationwide. This month, Director of Programs Jennafer Dorfman Wagner will present at the National Conference on Domestic Violence. Jennafer will co-lead a workshop with Carmen E. McDonald from Survivor Justice Center on current legal issues impacting survivors, advocates, and non-profits.

Current legal issues facing survivors, advocates, and non-profits
This session will provide an overview of the laws on confidentiality, privacy, and privilege in the current climate for survivors. We will also focus on immigrant survivors, warrants and subpoenas. Participants will get an update on the legal landscape and learn tools that help inform decision making. Through interactive discussions, and practical frameworks, this workshop provides participants with up-to-date information, perspectives and concrete skills to enhance survivor safety and provide trauma informed services.

The conference will take place October 27–29 in Kansas City, MO. Registration is closed but you can learn more here!

While the bulk of FVAP’s work is focused on representing survivors in appeals, we know that precedent and appeals aren’t the only way to protect survivors and their families. Often, survivors need new laws to protect their right to safe and happy lives, and so we work with legislators and administrators to identify gaps and create solutions. The philosophy is the same: where can we apply our limited resources to gain the maximum benefit for survivors throughout California, whether they’re our clients or not?

Under the leadership of Senior Managing Attorney Cory Hernandez, FVAP’s Legislative and Advocacy Program continued to make progress in 2025. Cory serves on the Judicial Council’s Family & Juvenile Law Advisory Committee and Protective Order Working Group, helping improve court forms and rules that impact survivors (specifically applying to family law and restraining orders). FVAP submitted comments on three Judicial Council Invitations to Comment, and submitted two proposals for the Judicial Council to address delays in written orders in family court and delays in getting reporter’s transcripts for writ petitions. FVAP also weighed in on dozens of bills and legislative proposals—e.g., FVAP supported special budget bills pushing back on regressive national policies, and other bills that became law like AB 969, expanding DV waivers for CalWORKs. Moreover, FVAP submitted a proposal to the State Bar to amend rules governing attorneys to stop attorneys’ solicitation of respondents in Domestic Violence Restraining Orders before the petitioner serves them with paperwork.

The person at the center of much of this progress is this month’s Staff Spotlight: Cory Hernandez.

Cory Hernandez holds a bachelor of science degree in political science and American studies from MIT, a master of science in political science from MIT, and a juris doctor from UC Berkeley Law. While at UC Berkeley, Cory volunteered as a rape crisis counselor at Bay Area Women Against Rape, and clerked for FVAP, the Family Violence Law Center, and Justice Jon B. Streeter of the First District Court of Appeal, Division Four. After receiving their law degree, Cory served as FVAP’s legal fellow in 2017, before leaving to serve as a staff attorney for the Family Violence Law Center. Cory returned to FVAP in 2020, and now helps run FVAP’s Legislative and Policy Advocacy Program.

They led FVAP’s sponsorship of 2022’s AB 2369 (Salas), which made it easier for survivors to get attorney’s fees in domestic violence restraining order cases, and harder for respondents. Cory was also quoted in the LA Times on CA’s court reporter shortage crisis, and has worked on FVAP’s California Supreme Court lawsuit on the shortage and electronic recording.

In addition to their work with FVAP, Cory is active in the wider legal community. They are a one-year fellow of the California Academy of Appellate Lawyers, a volunteer manuscript reviewer for three academic journals, and a volunteer with the Alameda County Bar Association's Judicial Appointments Evaluation Committee and Community Legal Aid Saturday Program. Cory was also a contributing editor for the Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB)’s new chapter on the Domestic Violence Prevention Act, published in 2025 as part of its family law practice treatise, and part of the legal team for City and County of San Francisco v. H.H. (2022) 76 Cal.App.5th 531, which won a 2023 CLAY (California Lawyer of the Year) Award from the Daily Journal.

Cory also shares their expertise through professional development sessions: next month, they’ll be co-presenting a training on navigating complex domestic violence cases.

We’re proud to feature Cory Hernandez this month. Their dedication to survivor justice, leadership in policy reform, and active engagement with the legal community exemplify FVAP’s ambitious vision to make justice happen the first time.

Family law practice is evolving — and so are the challenges attorneys face when representing survivors. From navigating mutual restraining orders to dealing with the shortage of court reporters, practitioners need up-to-date strategies to ensure survivors receive fair hearings and lasting protection. Join FVAP’s Cory Hernandez for an interactive training on “Navigating Your DV Case,” hosted by the Alameda County Bar Association. Cory and a panel of experienced legal professionals will share practical insights and best practices for handling domestic violence cases, including:

Speakers: Judge Michael Bishay (Alameda County Superior Court), Cory Hernandez (FVAP), Nicole Britton-Snyder (Bay Area Legal Aid), Robert Farzad (Farzad & Ochoa Family Law Attorneys, LLP)

Date: November 3, 2025
Time: 12:00 - 1:30 pm
Cost: Free for ACBA members | $115 for non-members. 
Register here. 

This session builds on FVAP’s broader work to strengthen survivor protections statewide – and reflects our ongoing commitment to equipping advocates and attorneys with the tools they need to make justice happen the first time.

FVAP’s advocacy doesn’t just take place at the Capitol, conferences, or training sessions – it also happens in the courtroom itself. Our ongoing efforts to expand remote access to courts exemplify how we translate policy into practical change for survivors seeking safety. 

In recent months, the Trump administration has intensified actions targeting individuals trying to access the court system, with ICE agents reportedly detaining alleged immigrants at both federal and state courts, including in California started to do the same at California state courts, where such actions violate state law. 

This has a chilling effect on access to justice, especially for survivors of gender-based violence, who may fear being forced into a concentration camp or deported when seeking the restraining orders or visas they need to escape their abuse. 

To address this, FVAP is working with partner agencies to urge courts to allow more remote hearings, which would enable survivors to safely access the courts without risking exposure to federal enforcement. Remote appearances are already permitted in most civil proceedings (Code Civ. Proc. section 367.75) and are required upon request in domestic violence restraining order cases (Fam. Code section 6308). We continue to advocate for these safeguards to be applied consistently across California, so that survivors can pursue justice without fear.

FVAP relies on the generosity of donors like you to help us continue our work supporting survivors and making sure that justice happens the first time. While most of our supporters make direct donations or provide in-kind services, there are many ways to give! Whether you'd like to include FVAP in your will, donate stock, or set up a monthly gift, we can help make sure your contribution does the most good for the most people. You can find more information about giving options here.

As the year comes to a close, remember that donations of stock, IRA distributions, or Donor-Advised Fund gifts can take several weeks to process If you’d like your gift to count for the 2025 tax year, start the process by November 1 to ensure we receive your donation before December 31st!

Right now, nonprofits across California are experiencing major declines in giving. By joining FVAP’s Sustainers' Circle and making your donation to our housing campaign a recurring one, you can make a powerful, lasting impact.

Sustainers give monthly or weekly, helping ensure survivors have consistent access to legal protection—regardless of income. Your ongoing support gives FVAP a reliable funding stream, so we can focus more on serving survivors and less on fundraising.

If you aren't already, join the Sustainers’ Circle today and stand with us year-round.