Law and Family Relations

This course examines the ways in which the law reflects and reinforces fundamental premises about how families are defined, and how they are constituted and dissolved. The course surfaces vexing questions about the effect of the law on private autonomy, the distinction between public and private law, and the interaction between law and race, gender, sexual orientation, and class. It requires students to grapple with difficult, often highly-charged issues emerging from conflicts between personal values and lifestyles and legal and social norms. Students are challenged to reveal and explore their own values to develop an awareness of cultural differences, and to use these insights to develop a professional identity that honors the spirit and the letter of the ethics of the lawyer/client relationship. Using New York law as a touchstone, students learn the law of marriage and divorce, guardianship, custody, and support.