Family Law in Practice is an experiential course in which students learn the basics of family law by working through two extended simulations. The class is conducted almost entirely in role, with students working as attorneys to learn the law, interview and counsel their clients, advocate their cases, and draft needed legal documents. The course is designed to teach family law doctrine while developing research, writing and lawyering skills.

Students in the course will learn many of the theoretical and practical fundamentals of family law through the experience of working on simulated cases. Students in this course will interview clients and expert witnesses, conduct research, prepare office memoranda, counsel clients, prepare parts of a hearing and draft a memorandum in support of a motion. The professor serves as supervising attorney and is therefore in a position to scaffold student learning as a senior practitioner would in the world of practice. Critique will be provided regularly by peers, the professor, and sometimes “clients” and “witnesses.”

This course is treated like Family Law and is one of the upper level gateway courses of which all students are required to complete two or three (depending on one’s position in the class) for graduation. Material presented in this course is heavily tested on the New York Law Exam (NYLE) and Multistate Essay Exam (MEE).

Approved for the Experiential Learning Requirement.

Recommended for the Following Professional Pathways: Family Law; Government/Public Sector; Immigration; Trusts and Estates; General Practice – Litigation/Dispute Resolution

3 Credits