In 1993, Cathy left her partnership at a major law firm to create a new organization that would deliver free legal help to women in New York City who could not pay for attorney representation when they faced family crises. The facts are cruel. In New York City, fewer than 75 lawyers on staff at legal services/legal aid agencies advise on family and matrimonial law matters. Of the hundreds of thousands of these cases that pass through the court system each year, these few attorneys can represent only a tiny fraction of the clients who turn to them for help. This shortage of qualified legal assistance takes it hardest toll on women and their children, who often face life-threatening situations.
To address this crisis, Cathy created and continues to run inMotion, which has helped thousands of women free themselves from abusive relationships, stay in their homes, and win the financial support to which they and their children are legally entitled. Cathy's mission makes a real and lasting difference in the lives of women––low-income, under-served, and abused––by offering them services that foster equal access to justice and an empowered approach to life. Cathy knew that she alone could not reach out to enough women to truly make a difference. So through ingenuity and her connections made during her legal career, she set up a network of pro-bono volunteers. She reached out to corporate law firms for talent and then set up an intensive program of training and supervision.
Leveraging this large, untapped pool of legal professionals––inMotion has trained over 4,000 attorneys who have then taken the organization’s referred cases–– has produced successful legal outcomes for thousands of women and their children.
Cathy also co-founded and co-chaired of the Lawyers Committee Against Domestic Violence, a coalition of over sixty lawyers from the greater New York City area. Their work supports victims of domestic violence and their children. This group strives to educate professionals in the legal system about domestic violence and to improve the justice system’s response to victims. It also works for improvements in the laws that benefit domestic violence survivors.
It started as an altruistic dream many years ago. Now, 12 years later, Cathy Douglass’s tireless efforts and advocacy have provided legal aid to countless women and their children––and their legal right to thrive! A grateful New York City has enlisted Cathy Douglass to serve on the judicial advisory committee to the Mayor of New York City, which helps ensure the quality of judges appointed to serve in the Family and Criminal Courts.
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