Duration: Full-year clinic
Credits: 8 credits (4 credits per semester/letter grade)

Students represent individuals in contested family law matters in Suffolk County Probate Court and less often in Middlesex County Probate Court.  Types of cases include divorce, paternity, custody, visitation, child support, and other family dissolution cases.  Students are expected to perform all tasks necessary to the representation of the client from initial interviews to trial.  Case selection priority is given to clients suffering from the consequences of domestic violence and sexual assault.  The Clinic works in collaboration with HarborCOV, a domestic violence social service agency.  Students represent HarborCOV clients in their family law matters and offer legal consultation to HarborCOV staff on site at their Chelsea office.  The weekly seminar covers the development of lawyering skills such as interviewing, counseling, case theory development, negotiation, oral advocacy, and the application of ethical rules to practice in the complex arena of families in crisis. The goal of the Clinic is for students to learn and develop insight into the process of lawyering, using family and poverty law as the paradigm for this learning.  Clinic obligations cannot be confined to particular days and must be met as needed on a per case basis.  Students will be expected to work on average 13/hours a week on Clinic-related work (not including seminars).  Weekly journals encouraging self-reflective learning are required.  Students must have completed or be concurrently enrolled in Family Law.  Spanish-speaking students are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Questions: Contact  Maritza Karmely, Associate Clinical Professor at mkarmely@suffolk.edu