The Center for Public Interest Law (CPIL) concluded its
third legal skills series of the academic year on April 27. Candace Wayne, College of Law alumna and
principal of Wayne and Jemilo, taught the series, Basics in Family
Law.
The series aimed to give students a basic
introduction to family law, but also to introduce students to concepts such as child custody and visitation issues, child support and maintenance, and
property settlements in a divorce. A
practical skill the students learned was how to evaluate different assets in a
marriage to start identifying the distribution of those assets during a
contested divorce. It concluded
with a discussion on how to manage a work-life balance in family law.
Basics in Family Law took place on five consecutive Mondays from
March 30 to April 27. Students who
attended all sessions received a certificate of completion. The series was co-sponsored by the Schiller
DuCanto & Fleck Law Center.
The conclusion of this series caps a third successful year
for CPIL in hosting this program. Each
series gives students the opportunity to explore different areas of public
interest law while gaining practical and transferable legal skills. Topics selected each year are based on
student participants’ interests and suggestions.
CPIL started this year’s program with the Immigration Skills
Series, taught by Rocio Alcántar
(JD ’10), staff attorney at the National Immigrant Justice Center. This series offered a brief overview and
understanding of the causes of migration for children. This series was offered in the fall. The second skills series, offered in the
beginning of the spring semester, focused on criminal law, specifically, on the
collateral consequences of a criminal record and examining legal routes to
mitigating those effects for employment purposes. Courtney Kelledes (JD ’13), staff attorney at
Cabrini Green Legal Aid, taught the second series. The series then highlighted
the various types of convictions that can be sealed or expunged and the
intricacies associated with taking steps to start those processes. It also addressed
other avenues to mitigating a criminal record, such as petitioning for
executive clemency, a health care worker waiver, or a certificate of
rehabilitation.
The CPIL Public Interest Legal Skills Series is driven by
student interest and by CPIL dedication to providing extracurricular learning
opportunities for students.