Time's Up Legal Defense Fund

TIME'S UP Legal Defense Fund is an organization headquartered in Washington, DC, that provides legal and media support to individuals who have been subject to workplace sexual harassment. The Fund is housed and administered by the National Women's Law Center (NWLC), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that advocates for gender justice in the courts, in public policy, and in our society.

Nickname	TULDF
Formation	2018 (6 years ago)
Founders	Roberta Kaplan, Tina Tchen, Fatima Goss Graves
Location	Washington, D.C., United States
Website	Website

History

The TIME'S UP Legal Defense Fund was co-founded in January 2018 by Roberta Kaplan and Tina Tchen,^[1][2][3] both formerly with the TIME'S UP Foundation, and Fatima Goss Graves,^[4] President and CEO of the National Women's Law Center. Since its inception, the fund has been operating independently from the organizations TIME’S UP Now and TIME’S UP Foundation, and has been housed and administered by the National Women’s Law Center.^[5]

In August 2021 Kaplan and Tchen resigned from their roles with the TIME'S UP Foundation after an investigation into New York governor Andrew Cuomo's sexual harassment allegations revealed TIME'S UP leadership had advised Cuomo while he was fighting the allegations.^{[6][7][8][9][10]} In January 2023, TIME’S UP Now and TIME’S UP Foundation ceased operations and transferred the majority of their remaining funds to TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund. 

The Fund continues to be housed and administered by the National Women’s Law Center. The Fund’s current director is Jennifer Mondino.

Funding

The Fund was originally financed by fundraising through the TIME'S UP Foundation.^[11] The initial 2018 fundraising GoFundMe campaign for the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund raised $21 million in its first two months.

As of January 2023, the Fund is financed through fundraising by the National Women’s Law Center.^[12]

Work

The Fund provides financial support for legal representation and media support and storytelling assistance in situations involving to individuals who have been subject to workplace sexual harassment.

The Fund has also awarded funding to community-based organizations for community outreach and education about workplace sex harassment.

Through the NWLC’s Legal Network for Gender Equity,^[13] the Fund also connects individuals with legal help in situations involving sex discrimination, including sex harassment, in the workplace, education, and health care.

Reception

The New York Times in 2019 called the Fund "Time's Up's crown jewel"^[14] and in 2021 said the initiative represented possibly Time's Up's most significant achievement.^[15]

References

1. Coleman, Justine (2019-10-07). "Former Michelle Obama chief of staff Tina Tchen named new head of Time's Up". The Hill. Retrieved 2019-10-24.
2. Walters, Joanna (October 21, 2018). "#MeToo a revolution that can't be stopped, says Time's Up co-founder". The Guardian. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
3. "Time's Up Leader Resigns After Criticism Over Cuomo Ties". NPR. 9 August 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
4. Melas, Chloe (1 January 2019). "Voices behind Time's Up". CNN. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
5. Sanders, Sam (October 13, 2022). "National Women's Law Center". Vulture.
6. Sanders, Sam (October 13, 2022). "Time's Up Began in an Oprah Speech and Wound Up in a Disreputable Heap. How?". Vulture.
7. Kantor, Jodi; Gold, Michael (9 August 2021). "Roberta Kaplan, Who Aided Cuomo, Resigns from Time's Up". The New York Times. The report from the state attorney general's office found that Ms. Kaplan had reviewed a draft of a disparaging op-ed letter that was aimed at attacking the character of Lindsey Boylan, a former Cuomo aide who was the first to publicly accuse him of sexual harassment. The op-ed letter was never published.
8. "Time's up CEO Tina Tchen resigns in wake of Cuomo scandal". ABC News.
9. Siegel, Rebecca Keegan,Tatiana; Keegan, Rebecca; Siegel, Tatiana (September 9, 2021). "How Time's Up Woes Are Overshadowing Its Mission Beyond Hollywood". The Hollywood Reporter.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
10. Scherer, Michael (2021-11-19). "Time's Up group to 'completely rebuild' after criticism for its role in Andrew M. Cuomo sexual harassment accusations". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2023-04-06.
11. Maddaus, Gene (December 22, 2020). "Time's Up Financial Reports Show Growth, Detail CEO Severance". Variety. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
12. "Time's Up ceases operations, refocuses on legal defense fund for sexual harassment victims". USA Today. 22 January 2023.
13. "ATTORNEYS: JOIN THE LEGAL NETWORK FOR GENDER EQUITY". 3 February 2023.
14. Buckley, Cara (2019-02-20). "Time's Up a Year Later: Hollywood Women Test Their Clout". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
15. Kantor, Jodi; Sundaram, Arya; Ryzik, Melena; Buckley, Cara (2021-08-21). "Turmoil Was Brewing at Time's Up Long Before Cuomo". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-08-26.