Family Law Concentration
Students enrolled in the one-semester, 12-credit Family Law Concentration (FLC) will work 2 days a week in organizations that represent domestic violence survivors or parents in child welfare cases filed by the New York City Administration for Children's Services. Working within an interdisciplinary model with social work and other professionals, students will work on a range of issues such as child welfare/child protection, immigration, custody, visitation, support, orders of protection, and other family law issues. Students may also engage in community education projects and/or work with community groups to advocate reform in domestic violence and child welfare policy and practice.
Highlights of the Family Law Concentration
- Substantial client contact and opportunities for community education and outreach projects
- Assisting families in crisis to obtain needed services and public entitlements
- Representing parents involved in child welfare proceedings in the early stages of their cases with increased likelihood of keeping families together where appropriate
- Litigating the improper removal of children from their parents and identifying less intrusive solutions to family problems to help keep families together and help parents maintain safe and stable environments for their children
- Litigating on behalf of survivors of domestic violence to obtain custody, visitation, divorce, support orders, orders of protection, and adjustment of status through use of Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) remedies
- Working with community organizations to provide culturally sensitive representation and to assist communities in stopping violence against women and to promote child welfare system reform
