Children and Family Law Clinic

Family Law

Student interns in the Family Law Clinic represent clients in a wide variety of family law matters. The cases handled include:

• divorces
• paternity actions
• adoptions
• guardianships
• emancipations

One advantage of family law practice is that many of the cases can begin and end in one semester, allowing a student the opportunity to handle all aspects of a case. However, even the cases that must be transferred from one student to another usually can be completed within a year, providing the students a complete understanding of the entire case.

Family law practice takes place almost entirely in state district courts and is a model for civil law practice in general. Students represent clients in a wide variety of family law matters. Interns:

• interview and counsel clients
• file pleadings
• gather evidence
• negotiate with adverse counsel
• argue at hearings
• file final orders

Many people with family law cases have been victims of domestic abuse. This exposes students to the issues in domestic violence and the remedies available to protect victims of abuse.

Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Immigration Cases

Interns may be assigned immigration cases that come under the Violence Against Women Act of 1994. This Act, VAWA, was passed to protect non-citizens who are married to an abusive spouse who is a citizen or lawful permanent resident. The battering spouse uses the non-citizen spouse's status as a means to control and continue the cycle of abuse. VAWA allows the abused spouse to self-petition to gain the right to legally be in the United States. In VAWA immigration cases, Clinic interns must use a multitude of legal skills, from interviewing clients to navigating the immigration code, to assist their clients in applying for the right to legally remain in the United States. The student must develop interviewing skills to gain trust so the client will disclose highly sensitive information regarding her past and plight.