麻豆影院

Juvenile and Family Law Clinic

• 笔谤辞蹿别蝉蝉辞谤听
• Mission听and Clients
• Scope
• Type听of Legal Assistance
• Juvenile听and Family Law Program
• Juvenile听and Family Law Certificate

Mission听and Clients听听听听听听听听听听听听

The听Juvenile and Family Law Clinic (JFLC) provides legal services for indigent children, youth,听and families. Our clients are referred to us through the courts and 麻豆影院 County Legal Services. Children and families facing abuse,听poverty, homelessness, and despair are among the neediest members of our听community requiring quality legal representation. Student attorneys in the JFLC help听meet that need.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

JFLC听clients are predominantly children and youth in the child welfare or听the juvenile justice system, or low income parents needing divorce or custody assistance. Clinic students act as the lead听attorneys on their cases, and work with their clients from the beginning of a听family law case through its conclusion. Students are responsible for gathering听information and documents, preparing court filings, appearing at court status听conferences, mandatory mediation, and court hearings. The JFLC helps students to develop good client relationships, to become competent in听Colorado juvenile and family law in particular, and in Colorado civil practice more broadly.

Scope听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

JFLC is a yearlong听course so that students are able to work on their cases from start to finish.听 Typically, students begin by interviewing their clients (this may be during a home visit for child welfare clients), preparing and filing initial court pleadings, and taking the lead at administrative and emergency hearings.听 At such hearings, students may present opening and closing听statements and examine witnesses. In the spring semester, typically students听prepare for and attend mediation on each of their cases, including preparing听mediation statements. For cases that are not resolved at mediation, students听take the lead on a final contested hearing. Hearings include preparing a pre-hearing brief, opening and closing statements, and witness examinations.

In addition to casework, students听meet weekly in seminar. In the fall, the seminar focuses on the substantive law in domestic relations and the children's code, while in the spring we focus on juvenile delinquency. We explore statutes, case law and law practice issues like ethics, client counseling, and negotiation, to name a few.听 听In the spring, each student teaches a week of class on a topic of听her or his choosing, related to clinic work or experiences.

Type听of Legal Assistance听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

JFLC exposes students to legal issues surrounding intra-familial disputes, as well as when the government intervenes in the family.听 Student听attorneys have:

• Represented children in state court as the child鈥檚 guardian ad litem, or legal听 representative;
• Represented听 homeless/runaway youth and pregnant and parenting teens;
• Advocated听for youth clients in mental health institutions;
• Represented young people charged as juveniles, or as adults, in the听criminal justice system;
• Represented听parents and children in adoptions;
• Represented parties in Special Immigrant Juvenile Status cases, and Indian Child Welfare Act cases;
• Handled听appeals;
• Represented听respondents in civil child welfare cases;
• Represented听parties in truancy cases;
• Drafted听amici briefs in the Colorado Supreme Court on cutting edge child welfare issues; and
• Presented听at statewide legal conferences on engaging and empowering youth.