CHILD ADVOCACY CLINIC
(ADVOCACY AND LEGAL SKILLS - 5090)
4 credits
The Child Advocacy Clinic is a one-semester in-house,
live-client and multi-disciplinary clinical program available to
second and third year students. The Clinic addresses the needs of
children who have been abused and neglected and affords the
students the opportunity to develop essential lawyering skills,
practical legal knowledge and professional responsibility while
serving the Queens community.
Students in the Clinic will be assigned to represent children in
child abuse and neglect cases in Queens County Family Court.
Allegations in these cases include physical abuse, drug and alcohol
abuse, excessive corporal punishment, sex abuse, medical and
educational neglect, failure to supervise, etc. Students provide
representation from arraignment through final resolution of the
case. Students working with mental health consultants will engage
in all professional responsibilities and aspects of representation,
such as interviewing, fact investigation, preparation of all legal
papers, working with experts, trial preparation and negotiation,
field work. The clinical professor supervises students in all
aspects of client representation and litigation.
Students are required to work in the Clinic 13 hours a week.
Additionally, students are required to attend a weekly 2-hour
seminar component. The seminar will provide the opportunity for
students to learn and develop essential lawyering skills required
in client representation, learn substantive areas of law, and
participate in roundtable discussions.
Students will be selected based upon an interview with the
professor and submission of a resume, cover letter, and unofficial
transcript.
For more information on the Child Advocacy Clinic contact
Dale S. Margolin,
Clinic Acting Director at margolid@stjohns.edu.