Madeline Garcia Bigelow

Madeline Garcia Bigelow is the Assistant Director of the Urban Justice Center, as well as the Director of the UJC’s Domestic Violence Project. She founded the Project in 2003, assembling a team of attorneys, social workers, and advocates who work cohesively to address the issues confronted by victims of intimate partner violence in both a legal and non-legal context.

DVP’s mission is to help victims of intimate partner violence and their children live free of violence and abuse.  We consider intimate partner violence, regardless of gender, sexual identity, religion, immigration or other status, to be a human rights violation.  Our work focuses on providing legal, advocacy and social work services to promote justice, vigorously defend and protect survivors’ human rights. To accomplish this, DVP provides legal representation in Immigration, Family and Integrated Domestic Violence Courts; mental health services, crisis counseling and group work; advocacy with intersecting systems; case management assistance; and on-going intimate partner violence education and outreach activities throughout the five boroughs of New York City.

After law school Ms. Garcia Bigelow went on to spend the next six years at the Bronx District Attorney’s Office in the Domestic Violence/Sex Crimes bureau, first as an Assistant District Attorney, then as Acting Supervisor of the 2221 unit, which worked closely with law enforcement officials in sex crime and child abuse investigations. Prior to founding the Domestic Violence Project she served as Co-Director of Sanctuary for Families’ Bronx office where she litigated family offense matters, provided education and outreach to the community and supervised staff.

Ms. Garcia Bigelow believes the founding principle by which to successfully address and represent issues raised by survivors of intimate partner violence is to unequivocally validate the client and litigate with emotional intelligence.