Academic Programs
Child & Family Law
The DePaul child and family law program encompasses a multitude of legal issues in the area of family relations, including child protection, domestic violence, elder law, juvenile justice, disability and divorce. The blending of traditional and new social values is a central concern in the changing field of family law. At DePaul, law students gain a substantive and rigorous education in family law through a variety of externships, clinics, extracurricular programming and a curriculum that continually changes with developments in child and family law.
Family Law Certificate
To earn a certificate, a student must complete the 86 semester hours required for the Juris Doctor (JD) and satisfy all JD requirements. Within the elective coursework required for the JD, a student must complete 15 credit hours from the approved child and family law curriculum with a minimum GPA of 3.00 in those courses.
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Legal Analysis, Research & Communication
A unique legal writing section places specific emphasis on current topics in family law as part of the first-year Legal Research, Analysis & Communication curriculum. Admission to the family law section is highly competitive.
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Clinical Programs
Family Law
The Family Law Clinic gives third-year law students the opportunity to represent individuals involved in divorce and domestic violence cases. The cases, readings and clinic assignments are designed to give students an overview of Illinois family law and its practice, as well as an appreciation of how a lawyer's actions and judgment affect the well-being of each member of a client's family, not only during the course of representation but also for years to come.
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Special Education Advocacy
The Special Education Advocacy Legal Clinic is an innovative, comprehensive advocacy program designed to protect the educational rights of children with disabilities while introducing law students to the growing field of special education law. The clinic’s primary goal is to facilitate the adoption of practices that promote inclusion of children with disabilities and help overcome barriers to education in underserved communities. Students learn to facilitate collaboration between school districts and parents, as well as to provide direct legal representation at Individual Education Plan meetings, mediation sessions and special education administrative proceedings.
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Field Placement Program
The Field Placement Program is another way to gain valuable experience in family and child law. DePaul law students have the opportunity to obtain course credit and practical experience while working in a variety of jobs. In recent years, students have worked for the Public Guardian's Office as well as for the Domestic Relations, Domestic Violence and Juvenile Justice divisions of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.
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Special Programs
Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center
The Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center focuses on teaching, research, law reform and community service in all areas of child and family law. A large and distinguished faculty provides expertise on a broad range of legal issues that affect families throughout their life cycle, including child protection, juvenile justice, adolescent health, education, partnership, marriage, domestic violence, divorce, disability and elder law.
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Summer Service Award Program: $5,000 Public Service Stipends
Through the Family Law Center’s Summer Service Award Program, select first-year students are guaranteed a paid, full-time public service job representing indigent families and children. Summer placements are available in child abuse and neglect, juvenile justice, divorce, domestic violence, custody, guardianship, elder law, disability, special education and sexual trafficking. These job opportunities provide family law students with valuable work experience that enhances both their resumes and their characters.
Family Law Fellows
The Family Law Center's prestigious Family Law Fellows Program provides second- and third-year students with opportunities to participate in the work of the Center including substantive research and a variety of symposia, colloquia and other speaker series. These students also have the opportunity to apply for paid public service job placements available through the Center.
Family Law Society
The student-run Family Law Society sponsors numerous speaking, mentoring, public service and social events each year. Student members are actively involved in pursuing their interests in family law by inviting speakers to the law school, organizing public service projects and networking with prominent family law practitioners.
Full-Time Faculty
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Jane Rutherford Mary Becker Katheryn M. Dutenhaver Barbara Hausman |
Sarah Klaper Jody Raphael Mark C. Weber |
