April 8, 2025
On April 7, the Connecticut Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act, S.B. 1502 (CT DVSJA),
successfully passed out of the Joint Judiciary Committee of the Connecticut legislature.
Since September, students in the Yale Law School Criminal Justice Advocacy Clinic (CJAC) have
worked alongside a coalition of individuals and organizations to draft and advocate for the
state’s passage of the CT DVSJA during the 2025 legislative session. The coalition comprises the
Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the ACLU of Connecticut, She Leads Justice,
Drop LWOP New England, Restorative Action Alliance, the Women’s Community Justice
Association, Full Citizens Coalition, the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice, and
individual community members of the state.
Since the legislative session began in January, the clinic has helped successfully lobby for the
DVSJA bill to be introduced in the Connecticut Judiciary Committee and has rallied support for
S.B. 1502 amongst a variety of stakeholders, including the Office of the Chief Public Defenders,
the Alliance to End Sexual Violence, and the Connecticut Second Look Sentencing Project.
A DVSJA statute in Connecticut would provide pathways for trauma-informed sentencing,
parole, and commutation relief for those who can prove their criminal conduct arose out of their
personal experience of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, or human trafficking,
according to the clinic. The statute would also allow judges to utilize their discretion to depart
from mandatory minimum sentences when sentencing an individual who can show that their
experience of surviving domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, or human trafficking
contributed to their criminal behavior. If the bill passes, it will be the first of its kind in New
England.
Connecticut’s Joint Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on March 17, and CJAC
submitted written testimony in support of the bill. Alongside other members of the CT DVSJA
Coalition, clinical supervisor and Visiting Lecturer in Law Anjali Pathmanathan also testified at
the hearing on behalf of the clinic.
On April 2, members of CJAC joined the Connecticut Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act
Coalition for a lobbying day at the Connecticut State Capitol, where they spoke with a bipartisan
group of legislators to advocate for passage of S.B. 1502.
Students in the Criminal Justice Advocacy Clinic represent individuals and organizations
affected by the criminal legal system. The clinic docket consists of a mix of policy and
community advocacy, direct representation, and impact litigation.