Registration
Low Bono Opportunities - Domestic Violence and Restraining with Tricia Ravenhorst and Betsy Goodale
Region: ALL
August 21, 2025 12:00 PM
Virtual/Zoom
Link to Join:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83909660631
CLE Approved!
Course Description & Objectives
Attorneys have the power to make a lasting difference in the lives of survivors of interpersonal violence. This CLE program offers a foundational understanding of civil protective and restraining orders in South Carolina, equipping attorneys with an overview of the protections available to survivors. Beyond legal procedures, the course also emphasizes the unique and critical role attorneys play in crafting trauma-informed, victim-centered Legal Safety Plans that promote long-term security, preserve privacy, support healing and offender accountability.
With a critical shortage of legal representation for survivors, this program highlights urgent opportunities for attorneys to make a meaningful impact by providing pro bono or low bono assistance. Whether you're new to this area or seeking to expand your impact, this course will inspire you to use your legal skills to help survivors reclaim safety, dignity, and hope.
Betsy Goodale is the Director of Private Attorney and Community Engagement for South Carolina Legal Services. In that role, she recruits private attorneys across the state to supplement the work of SCLS's in-house attorneys in meeting the civil legal needs of low-income South Carolinians. Prior to joining SCLS in January 2023, Betsy was the Director of the Pro Bono Program at the South Carolina Bar where, similarly, she coordinated the Bar's efforts to provide pro bono legal assistance to the indigent. Betsy focused her efforts on legal aid efforts after retiring from the Staff Attorneys Office at the South Carolina Supreme Court in 2018. She was the Chief Staff Attorney for fifteen of the twenty-nine years she spent at the Court.
Patricia (Tricia) Ravenhorst is the General Counsel of the SC Coalition Against Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault (SCCADVASA) where she provides legal support for the organization; legal technical assistance and education to SCCADVASA’s 22 member organizations and other professional partners and management of SCCADVASA’s contract and pro bono attorney program. Ms. Ravenhorst has been training attorneys, criminal justice professionals and the community on the unique legal needs of survivors of crime; immigration and human trafficking for over 18 years. Prior to joining SCCADVASA, Tricia served as the Director and Attorney of the SC Victim Assistance Network’s (SCVAN) Immigrant Victim Program, where she established the organization’s specialized legal and supportive services to immigrant survivors of crime and the SC Immigrant Victim Coalition, which brings together professionals throughout the state working with immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and human trafficking. Prior to joining SCVAN, Ms. Ravenhorst practiced employment and immigration law at the Wyche Law Firm in Greenville, South Carolina. Her prior work experience also includes internships with the South African Secretariat for Safety and Security in Pretoria, South Africa. Tricia earned her Juris Doctor and Master of Arts in Political Science/Certification in Latin American Studies from Duke University and her Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from Florida State University. Ms. Ravenhorst is licensed to practice before both federal and state courts in South Carolina and is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the National Association for Victim’s Rights Attorneys.