Violence Against Women and the US Supreme Court: Recent Challenges and Opportunities for Advocates and Practitioners

The U.S. Supreme Court has frequently grappled with violence against women, with three major cases decided since 2000. Although the law can be a powerful tool to minimize the risk of violence against women, it can also be an obstacle to interventions. As legislators, prosecutors, and advocates implement legal interventions to respond to violence against women, the Supreme Court has increasingly been called on to interpret these laws and assess their constitutionality. This legal note examines recent Supreme Court jurisprudence that addresses interventions to prevent violence against women and explain how practitioners can tailor interventions to respond to these decisions.