WomensLaw serves and supports all survivors, no matter their sex or gender.

About Us

About WomensLaw.org

Updated: 
May 2, 2023

Despite its name, WomensLaw.org provides information that is relevant to people of all genders, not just women. Our Email Hotline will provide legal information to anyone who reaches out with legal questions or concerns regarding domestic violence, sexual violence, or any other topic covered on WomensLaw.org.

WomensLaw.org was founded in Brooklyn, NY in February 2000 by Elizabeth Martin, with the help of a group of lawyers, teachers, advocates, and web designers who were interested in seeing the power of the Internet help survivors of domestic violence. In 2001, the WomensLaw.org website was launched to provide state-specific legal information and resources for survivors of domestic violence. In 2002, WomensLaw.org added a confidential Email Hotline to offer direct support to survivors, their advocates, friends and family members. Today, almost six million unique users visit the website annually, and WomensLaw.org provides referrals and information to more than 4,000 individuals through the Email Hotline. In October 2022, WomensLaw launched an online chat option for users of the Email Hotline who have follow-up questions related to WomensLaw’s response to their initial Email Hotline inquiry. 

To expand our reach even further, in 2010 WomensLaw.org merged with, and became a project of, the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV), a social change organization dedicated to creating a social, political and economic environment in which violence against women no longer exists. As a project of NNEDV, WomensLaw.org is positioned to help even more survivors while also increasing assistance for the professionals who help them. Learn more about WomensLaw.org and other NNEDV projects on the NNEDV website.

WomensLaw.org has received several awards including The Sunshine Lady Foundation Peace Award (2004), The Mary S. Byron Celebrating Solutions Award (2005 and 2021), and a Webby Award - Jury Prize for Best Website in the Law Category (2009). WomensLaw.org was selected to be a project partner by DataKind, a non-profit organization that brings together top data scientists with leading social change organizations to collaborate on how to maximize social impact (2018). ​ WomensLaw.org was also chosen to participate in the Allstate fellows program by the Allstate Foundation (2018).

We are constantly adding new information to our site and updating the information we already have. If you know of information that we should post on this site, please let us know! (Contact Us)

© 2008–2024 WomensLaw.org is a project of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, Inc. All rights reserved. This website is funded in part through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). NNEDV is a 501©(3) non-profit organization; EIN 52-1973408.