Legal Counsel for Survivors of Campus Sexual Violence

This Article argues that survivors of campus sexual violence often need legal counsel before, during, and after campus disciplinary proceedings. Lawyers have been overlooked as a critical resource for survivors, and this omission means that most survivors do not receive essential services for addressing their victimization and furthering their recovery. This Article sets forth the reasons why institutions of higher education should make available free legal services to their students who are victimized, and addresses the reasons why institutions might be hesitant to do so. The Article then argues that potential institutional concerns do not relieve colleges and universities of their existing legal obligation to provide some survivors with free legal services. This Article suggests that schools would best meet their legal obligation by providing all survivors with free legal services. The Article then puts its theoretical discussion into perspective by describing the University of Oregon's unique on-campus program that provides free legal counsel to student survivors. The Article concludes by recommending that the Office for Civil Rights clarify campuses' legal obligation to provide free attorneys for some survivors and by suggesting that campuses offer all survivors this service. The result would be a better campus response to sexual violence, a decline in the overall rate of post-assault traumatic distress, a likely reduction in the rate of campus sexual violence, and greater progress toward the goal of gender equality