EMAIL DETAILS

Good evening. Thank you all for coming. Support from all of you helps to validate the great work being done at DC Volunteer Lawyers Project. Three years ago when I started volunteering at DCVLP, I was drawn not only by the mission but by the practical and efficient way the organization is run. Last year, on a budget of $350,000, DCVLP provided 3.5 million in legal services.

The mission of DCVLP is what keeps me, and over 700 volunteer lawyers, working to try and improve the lives of families in DC. Representing survivors of domestic violence and representing children in need of custody setttlements, DCVLP is giving people in need a voice in court.

Nineteen years ago, my father-in-law lead the charge in passing the Violence Against Women Act. It was an incredible moment for our country and a proud personal victory for my father-in-law. I remember when the bill passed, my mother-in-law made signs congratulating Pop and hung them from the trees in the yard. As Laura said, we as a country cannot stand by while there is violence in a home.

With Pop's leadership, combatting domestic violence has become a top priority. This administration is the first to have a designated office for domestic violence in the White House. Lynn Rosenthal is the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women. My father-in-law invited me to join him in March for the reauthorization of VAWA. It was incredibly moving to be in that room. VAWA has expanded to better protect families LGBT and Native Americans.

It is my pleasure tonight to introduce my father-in-law. He has always been an incredibly support to all of us and we all want to make him proud. My brother-in-law Beau is here tonight. He is the Attorney General in Delaware and he is working hard to ensure that families are protected. Under his leadership, Delaware has set up an office focused soley on stopping child predators. My sister-in-law is a social worker focused on at-risk youth.

Friends, I would like to introduce you to my Pop, Vice-President Joe Biden.