The Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center is dedicated to training the next generation of family law attorneys. Through a wide-range of family law courses and experiential learning opportunities, students receive thorough training before graduating and starting their careers in the field of family law. Students can choose from three tracks - divorce/marital dissolution, child advocacy, or elder law - and earn a family law certificate within their concentration.
Additionally, the Center works to connect students to real-life opportunities to complement their studies. The year-long Family Law Field Clinic housed at Chicago Volunteer Legal Services allows 711 students to work on real family law cases under attorney supervision and instruction. The Domestic Violence Practicum gives students an opportunity to volunteer with Ascend Justice in assisting self-represented individuals seeking Emergency Orders of Protection in Cook County's Domestic Violence Court. Other experiential learning opportunities include DePaul’s annual Spring Break Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center Service Project, externships, internships, and volunteer opportunities with various not-for-profits in the Chicagoland area.
Each year the Center selects a limited number of incoming 1L students as Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Fellows and provides Fellows funding for a summer internship in family law. The Center also regularly funds two summer law student interns at Ascend Justice through the assistance of a grant. Moreover, the Center provides ongoing academic and career counseling and support to family law students.
The Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center is the result of a generous gift from the Schiller DuCanto & Fleck law firm.