Kari Niesen-LaScala, J.D., is a staff attorney at End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin. She provides training and timely legal technical assistance to advocates, other attorneys, and community partners who serve victims of domestic violence. Prior to working at End Abuse, she was the associate director at Wisconsin Health Literacy, where she played an instrumental role in planning, writing, testing, and implementing health literacy interventions for underserved populations. While living in Chicago, she practiced law at Pro Bono Advocates (now named Ascend Justice), representing clients in all phases of divorce litigation and in obtaining orders of protection. She holds a B.A. in journalism and psychology from Northern Illinois University (NIU) and a J.D. from NIU College of Law. 

Courtney Olson is the executive director of Rainbow House Domestic Abuse Services, serving a three-county area in northeastern Wisconsin. With a master’s degree in labor and employment relations and a bachelor’s degree in psychology, Courtney previously worked in health care human resources. Her background in volunteering and board leadership provided the opportunity to transition into domestic violence advocacy in 2001. 

When her friend and former colleague, Trish Waschbisch, was murdered by her live-in boyfriend, Courtney founded the Hope Domestic Violence Homicide Response project. Courtney regularly provides trainings on the topic of domestic violence, homicide prevention, and response. She has presented at the 2021 End Violence Against Women International Conference in Washington, D.C. and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence in 2022. 

Courtney is the Chair of the Governor’s Council on Domestic Abuse Fatality Review Initiative Committee as well as a past board member of the Wisconsin coalition, End Abuse Wisconsin. She has served as lead data analyst for the 2022 and 2023 Wisconsin Domestic Violence Homicide Reports and coordinates the statewide Lethality Assessment Program with law enforcement.

• Discuss the “why” behind the expanded venue laws in Domestic Abuse, Harassment, and Child Abuse restraining order cases.
• Why this is important – anyone can be impacted by domestic abuse, including attorneys.
• Deep dive into what the venue laws provide and the requirements.
• Petitioners who are eligible for the expanded venue: includes attorneys, advocates, law enforcement, and county court system employees, as well as those with certain relationships to those groups.

Kari Niesen-LaScala, Courtney Olson

• Understand how expanded venue laws can be used to protect victims in domestic abuse, harassment, and child abuse cases
• Identify which individuals are eligible to file restraining order petitions outside their own counties
• Ensure you’re offering comprehensive support for those impacted by domestic violence
• Develop approaches that minimize the risk of victim re-traumatization during the restraining order process
• Learn how expanded venue laws can offer protection to victims while reducing conflicts of interest

• Family lawyers
• Lawyers who work with children
• Solo and small firm practitioners