In this episode, Professor Dale Margolin Cecka, Director of the Family Violence Litigation Clinic at Albany Law School, joins us to unpack the many ways the legal system often fails survivors—especially women, children, and teens. A skilled advocate and scholar, she brings clarity to the complexities of domestic violence law and shares insights on how reproductive justice, family court, and legal protection intersect.

What You'll Learn

• How domestic violence survivors navigate an often broken family court system
• The essential difference between reactive violence and calculated patterns of control in abusive relationships
• Why children and teens remain vulnerable due to gaps in legal protections
• The crucial relationship between reproductive justice and domestic violence

Professor Cecka's Featured Writings:

• USA Today – “Diddy trial and Macron shove reveal our blind spots about domestic violence” (June 2, 2025) — In this striking op-ed, Professor Cecka explores how high-profile cases expose dangerous societal blind spots regarding abuse. Albany Law School+1
• Governing – “The Fatal Consequences of Giving Violent Men Access to Their Children” (October 25, 2024) — A sharp look at how family courts’ custody decisions can put children’s lives at risk. Governing Albany Law School
• Salon – “How ‘It Ends With Us’ Gets Domestic Violence Wrong” (August 21, 2024) — A critique of how popular culture simplifies and misrepresents the realities of intimate partner violence. Salon.com
• Albany Law School
• People’s World – “VAWA Is 30, But Are We Still Failing Survivors?” (October 30, 2024) — A reflective commentary marking three decades since the Violence Against Women Act. peoplesworld.org

Content Warning: This episode discusses various topics that may disturb some listeners. Listener discretion is advised. 

We are not doctors or therapists; please do not consider our opinions as medical advice.

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