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News Release

Last modified: Friday, February 13, 2009

Women's Law Caucus supports domestic violence programs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 13, 2009

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Women's Law Caucus at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law raised more than $9,000 at its annual charity auction last week for two local domestic violence programs. Both Middle Way House of Bloomington, Ind., and the school's Protective Order Project will use the proceeds to continue providing services to local victims of domestic abuse.

The auction puts donated items and packages up for bidding in both a silent and live auction setting.

This year's auction items included restaurant gift certificates, a campus parking pass and rental credits with local landlords. Law school professors and staff members donated various packages, such as a dinner hosted by law school Dean Lauren Robel, a Nintendo Wii competition with clinical faculty members, and a food-and-wine pairing session with Professor Emeritus and Bloom magazine wine columnist Pat Baude.

Despite troubling economic times, students banded together to place large bids on the packages they wanted.

"With the economy the way it is right now, we're really happy with where we came out," Women's Law Caucus Co-Chair Ashlee Howton said. "We've raised around $10,000 in each of the past several auctions, and given that donations were way down, we're really pleased with what we raised this year."

Toby Strout, executive director of Middle Way House, said proceeds from the auction are used to obtain matching funds from the federal government.

"We get support for our programs through federal funds, and those include a matching requirement," Stroud said. "We need local funds in order to secure the federal funds, and the auction has always made it possible for us to provide our services. It's a really great thing they do, and we wouldn't be the same without it."

Middle Way House works closely with the Protective Order Project, a student-directed program at the IU Maurer School of Law that provides legal representation for domestic violence victims in need of protective orders.

The Women's Law Caucus has held the auction for more than 15 years.

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