Family Law
A Career in Family Law
If you are thinking about Family Law as an area of practice, you are preparing for internship or permanent placements in the following settings:
- Small or midsize law firm
- State or local government agency focusing on legal issues of the family and/or children
- Legal services office representing parents or children
- Non-profit organization focusing on legal issues of the family and/or children
You may do any of the following in practice:
- Advise clients on issues regarding the formation, maintenance, and dissolution of family relationships, including marital and parent/child relationships
- Litigate or mediate actions related to divorce, orders of protection, paternity, child custody, support, and related matters
- Draft agreements resolving issues of separation, division of assets, maintenance, and related matters
- Represent children in matters of child protection, adoption, guardianship, or juvenile justice
- Prosecute or defend clients in child neglect, child abuse, or juvenile delinquency cases
Students pursuing this Path to Practice should consider combining it with the Civil Litigation/Dispute Resolution or Criminal Practice Paths to Practice. Read more about course recommendations below:
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You should take the following foundational course as early as possible:
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You should take at least three of the following intermediate courses:
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You should take at least two of the following capstone or skills courses:
- Collaborative Law LAW 763
- Clinic - Equal Justice America Disability Rights LAW 839A/839B
- Externship: Family Court LAW 694
- Lawyering LAW 919
- Matrimonial Practice LAW 732
- Externship: Legal Services Law 829 with a family law placement
- Externship: State Judicial LAW 798 with a family court placement
- Externship: Guided LAW 993FP with a family law placement
Featured Faculty
Associate Professor of Law
Elisabeth Haub School of Law
White Plains
Contact
For more information regarding this Path to Practice, contact Professor Jessica Miles.