Family Law Practice Clinic

This clinical course will introduce students to the multiple ways that the law can be used to assist women who have been victims of assaults, batteries and other forms of domestic violence. In the BWR concentration students will work in a legal organization that does domestic violence advocacy, prosecution or criminal defense that is different from the direct services work that the BWR clinic does through Main Street Legal Services. These placements will involve criminal and civil work, such as domestic violence prosecution with the Brooklyn Family Justice Center, and legislative advocacy or impact litigation with an organization like Sanctuary for Families or The Legal Aid Society. Classroom instruction will include joint classes with the BWR clinic and BWR concentration students. In these classes, students will explore theoretical issues such as the efficacy of various legal responses to domestic violence; the inter-sectionality of domestic violence and race, class and sexuality; and the value and challenges of interdisciplinary work between lawyers and social workers. In the split classes, the BWR clinic students could delve more deeply into the specific law (Family Court Act, Domestic Relations Law, and immigration law) that is relevant to their cases. The BWR concentration students will learn the law relevant to the work they are doing. All students will learn lawyering skills such as interviewing and counseling. All students will also participate in case rounds.Students will be selected for the clinic based on screening criteria developed by the Law Clinic faculty. Enrollment will be limited and will vary from year to year depending on the Clinic budget and other restraints.