Multiple attorneys in Fox Rothschild’s Pittsburgh Office have partnered over the last year with the Allegheny County Bar Foundation’s Pittsburgh Pro Bono Partnership to support domestic violence victims through the foundation’s Protection From Abuse (PFA) Project. PFA orders are often issued to prevent ongoing threats to victims of domestic violence and their immediate family members — usually women and children.

“The need for legal support remains urgent,” said Kate Stoy, Fox Partner and firm coordinator for the PFA Project. “During COVID, the need for PFAs skyrocketed, and available pro bono attorneys plummeted. While this is improving, the court system remains inundated and there is a genuine need to assist victims of domestic violence in navigating the judicial system. I am proud of the work with our Fox team to help fill this void.”

A rotating group of Fox attorneys work with Neighborhood Legal Services Association (NLS) to provide on-site assistance during final PFA hearings. Fox participants include Patrick Abramowich, Rachael Dizard, Jennifer Hanlin, Mark Harley, Brett Huston, Lauren Sabol, Alec Stone and Michael Zukowski. Together, this group has helped to secure, among other things, stay away orders, firearm confiscation, and child custody arrangements, as well as helped to stop ongoing stalking, abuse and harassment.

Fox supports local communities through our Pro Bono Program and Generation Fox initiative, which places youth at the heart of our charitable mission. For more information, read about Fox’s participation in the PFA Project.