The Family and Children Advocacy Clinic is a one-semester 6 graded credit clinic. By participating in the Family and Children Clinic, student interns learn the skills necessary to provide high quality legal representation for families and children.
The family law caseload may include divorces; establishment, modification and enforcement of child and spousal support; custody and visitation. The child advocacy cases will include special education, school discipline, dependency court and other proceedings pertaining to the care and support of minor children.
Cases are selected to provide students with a variety of experience in pretrial procedure, negotiation, discovery, mediation and courtroom practice. The student experience will include interviewing clients and witnesses, investigation, legal research, reviewing court and other documents from related cases or prior proceedings, preparing direct and cross examination, making strategic case decisions, motion practice and preparation of witnesses. Student interns will handle cases in one or more substantive areas of law and assume primary responsibility for their assigned cases, including court appearances. The interns work under the supervision of the clinical professor who is a licensed Attorney, Staff Attorney(s) and Fellows.
In addition to direct representation of clients, the Student interns will have opportunities to engage in community outreach. We work with neighborhoods and other youth-serving organizations and groups to provide information and training to encourage advocacy and inform parents and adolescents of their rights.
- Credits: 6 graded credits
- Time Commitment: The time commitment averages 20 hours a week, including case work, supervision, and the seminar.
- Recommended: Trial Advocacy, Evidence, Family Law, and Professional Responsibility
- Selection Criteria:
1. Fourth-year part time students and Third-year full time students.
2. Second-year full-time students.
- Certified Legal Intern Certification Required: Yes
Laverne Pinkney
Director, Visiting Clinical Assistant Professor
305-348-7541 (phone)
pinkneyl@fiu.edu