About

Statement of Purpose:

SJC aims to build a community at Harvard Law School dedicated to advocating for survivors in the practice of law; furthering our understanding of the anti-sexual violence movement and its intersections with racial justice, gender justice, economic justice, and disability justice; and supporting survivors at HLS and in the greater Boston community. The Survivor Justice Coalition will provide opportunities for HLS students to:

• Learn about public interest career paths in the anti-sexual violence movement.
• Advocate for a campus climate at HLS that believes, supports, and empowers survivors. 
• Elevate the voices of survivors and offer alternatives to the narratives of survivorship that students see in typical law school cases.
• Raise awareness of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking (“DDVSAS”) at HLS and in the legal profession and advocate for change.

Organizational Mission:

We are committed to prioritizing intersectionality in our advocacy for survivors, recognizing that BIPOC and trans communities, people who are incarcerated, and individuals with disabilities experience the highest rates of sexual violence. We reject carceral feminism and stand in solidarity with decarceration. We look to restorative and transformative justice as the future of the anti-sexual violence movement as they prioritize the needs of survivors and addressing the root causes of harm. 

Why is SJC Needed?

In a study conducted by the International Bar Assocation, 36.6% of female and 42.9% of nonbinary respondents reported experiencing workplace sexual harassment in the legal profession.

Harvard is No exception.
17% of trans and nonbinary students and 8% of female students enrolled in graduate or professional programs reported experiencing “nonconsensual sexual contact by physical force or inability to consent since entering the school.”
Source: Harvard AAU Campus Climate Survey, 2019

The presence of a survivor justice student organization at HLS gives legitimacy to the legal landscape of anti-sexual violence law and affirms that survivors belong at HLS and in the legal profession.