Celebrating Two Years of Hope and Impact: A Q&A with Nate Molle of the Legal Advocacy Services Program
This July, our hearts are incredibly full as we celebrate the second anniversary of our Legal Advocacy Services Program at Project R.E.S.T. Over the past two years, this program has served as a lifeline for survivors of intimate partner violence and their families throughout Spartanburg County by providing compassionate support, clear legal guidance, and dedicated courtroom representation when they need it most.
A milestone like this is a true community effort. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to the Spartanburg County Courthouse, the Dottie Boyles Estate, and the South Carolina Bar Foundation for walking alongside us and providing the foundational funding that makes this work possible.
We also have some wonderful news to share: the South Carolina Bar Foundation has fully funded our recent grant request, welcoming Project R.E.S.T. back as a returning FY27 grantee. This was an incredibly significant request for us, and we are so moved and grateful to have received the full amount. Stepping into effect on July 1st, right alongside our second anniversary, this grant ensures we can continue to stand by local families and grow our impact in the year ahead. Thanks to the SC Bar Foundation and our incredible partners, this program enters its third year stronger than ever.
To look back on the lives touched over the last two years and share our hopes for the future, we sat down for a heartfelt conversation with Nathaniel Molle, the Managing Attorney leading our legal team.
Q&A with Nathaniel Molle, Managing Attorney
To start, could you briefly introduce yourself and your role at Project R.E.S.T.?
Nate: I am Nathaniel Molle and I am the Managing Attorney for the Legal Advocacy Services Program at Project R.E.S.T. I have been an attorney for 13 years and have been an attorney in the public services sector for the last 7 years.
Looking back on the past two years, what impact has the Legal Advocacy Services Program had on survivors and families throughout Spartanburg County?
Nate: I believe that the Legal Advocacy Services Program provided survivors and their families with crucial information and support during a very difficult time in their lives. The Legal Advocacy Services Program allows survivors to get critical legal safety planning information and referrals to other organizations that can assist with executing their plan. I believe the ability to act efficiently is vital for a survivor to not feel overwhelmed and give up on their safety plan.
What are some of the biggest legal challenges survivors of intimate partner violence face, and how does Project R.E.S.T. help them navigate those challenges?
Nate: One of the biggest legal challenges survivors face is navigating the judicial process to obtain an Order of Protection. Knowing what documents and when they need to be completed; what is important for the Order of Protection to be granted; when and how documents need to be served; and how to present evidence at the Order of Protection hearing are all important to getting an Order of Protection granted. The Legal Advocacy Services Program is designed to handle those judicial processes. We will make sure all the documents are completed, filed and served appropriately. Our team also will discuss and advise survivors of what to expect throughout the legal process.
Many people may not realize that free legal consultations are available. What types of support and services can survivors expect when they reach out to your team for help?
Nate: When survivors reach out to our team, we will review their situation for potential legal remedies. It is quite common that a survivor may need legal assistance in an area that our team does not handle. In that case, we would refer the survivor to an organization that does handle those types of cases/situations. We also review a survivor’s situation for other potential forms of assistance. If there is another form of assistance a survivor needs, we can provide them with information about other resources or refer them to a different Project R.E.S.T. program that can assist the survivor.
How do attorneys, advocates, paralegals, and support staff work together to provide a more comprehensive approach to helping survivors find safety, stability, and justice?
Nate: The team works together to review a survivor’s situation through many different lenses. The support staff will interact with the survivor upon initial contact and provide them with information about what to expect from our program. Attorneys and paralegals are able to review potential legal options available while the advocates assess the survivor’s situation for potential personal actions, such as shelter, referral to the Project R.E.S.T. therapy team, or how to make sure their phone is not sharing the survivor’s location. Being able to provide resources and options related to immediate safety, long-term safety, and personal wellness is the goal of the comprehensive approach taken by the Legal Advocacy Services Program.
As the program celebrates its second anniversary, what are your hopes and goals for the future of Legal Advocacy Services at Project R.E.S.T.?
Nate: My goal for the program is to grow community awareness of the services offered by both the Legal Advocacy Services program and Project R.E.S.T. as a whole. Even though Project R.E.S.T. has been serving this community for many years, I still have people tell me that they had no idea we were here or what Project R.E.S.T. does. And my hope for the program is to have the Legal Advocacy Services Program be an example for the rest of the state on the importance of legal representation for survivors. I would love for every county in the state to have a similar program to this one.
Without sharing any identifying information, can you tell us about a success story or meaningful moment that demonstrates the impact this program has had on someone’s life?
Nate: We had a survivor that had been in an abusive marriage for about twelve years. The initial situation involved sexual abuse and physical abuse. We started the legal process and got to the point of needing to serve the legal papers on the abuser. At that point, the survivor backed out of the order of protection process and had been made promises by the abuser that made the survivor feel comfortable dropping the order of protection. Our team safety planned with the survivor and made sure to let them know that if the survivor needed us again in the future, we were here to help. Unfortunately, the survivor needed our assistance again about 8 months after dropping the previous order of protection action. The abuser never stopped the sexual abuse as promised and the incident that led the survivor to seek our assistance again involved the abuser punching the survivor several times in the head. We were able to get the survivor an order of protection, get the survivor to communicate with their family for support, and get the survivor and the two children of the family into counseling. The support and services of Project R.E.S.T. allowed this survivor and two children to remove themselves from an abusive home and an abusive relationship, find supportive and healthy relationships, and have counseling on how to process the impacts of the abusive relationship.
What message would you like to share with community members who may know someone in need of legal support but are unsure where to turn?
Nate: I would like to invite them to have that person contact the Legal Advocacy Services Program by either coming to our office at the Spartanburg County Courthouse or contacting Project R.E.S.T. at 864-583-9803. Our team will review their situation and discuss the situation with the person. Even if the assistance that is needed is not something that the Project R.E.S.T. Legal Advocacy Services Program does, our team will refer the person to an organization that handles the person’s area of need.
Why is it important for our community to invest in programs like Legal Advocacy Services so they can continue serving survivors today and for generations to come?
Nate: Continued investment in programs such as this one are vital to the community as a whole. The services offered by the Legal Advocacy Services Program not only help survivors navigate protective orders but also any other legal issues they may be facing. This allows survivors to execute their safety plans more efficiently. And when a survivor is able to execute their safety plan more efficiently, there is less strain on the survivor’s resources and the county’s resources. Another important factor is the impact on the children of survivors. Organizations like Project R.E.S.T. allow survivors to provide their children with resources to overcome the trauma associated with witnessing or experiencing domestic violence and, hopefully, prevent the children from perpetuating the cycle of violence.
The Power of Community Investment: Our 2025 Impact
The critical need for these services is clear in the numbers. According to our 2025 Impact Report, the Legal Advocacy Services Program achieved incredible milestones during its first full year of operation:
- 696 clients received legal advocacy and aid services.
- Our team assisted 334 walk-in clients directly at our Spartanburg County Courthouse office.
- Our attorneys provided direct courtroom representation for 70 clients.
- 84% of filed actions, including protective and restraining orders, were successfully granted.
As we look at everything accomplished so far, the momentum hasn’t stopped. The program continues to grow in 2026, reaching more families and providing even greater stability to those navigating the legal system.
How You Can Stand With Us
The Legal Advocacy Services Program relies entirely on the generosity and investment of our community to keep these vital, life-changing services free for survivors. If you would like to learn more about our ongoing work, read more survivor stories, or make a donation to help us bring safety and justice to local families or reach out to our team: info@projectrest.org today. Every gift helps break the cycle.
