Child Advocacy Program
Student Work
Student Work
The Child Advocacy Clinic, which is part of Harvard Law School’s Child Advocacy Program, (CAP) is designed to educate students about a range of social change strategies and to encourage critical thinking about the pros and cons of different approaches. The clinic is relevant for students with a particular interest in children’s issues as well as for students interested in social change.
Students are placed at a different organization/agency serving children, with a focus on substantive areas such as:
- child welfare (abuse and neglect, foster care and adoption);
- education; and
- juvenile justice.
The placements use a range of strategies to spark social change such as:
- individual client representation;
- impact litigation;
- legislative and policy reform;
- alternative dispute resolution;
- grassroots organizing;
- community education; and
- social entrepreneurship.
Some students will work for reform from within the system and others from outside. For more information on past placements, see our Master List of CAP Clinic Placements. Most placements are in the Boston-area, although the Winter/Spring option opens the possibility of working with organizations beyond Boston.
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ClinicTalk
ClinicTalk
Title | Date | Length | Format | |
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() An info session presented byCrisanne Hazen, Lecturer on Law, and clinic students |
03/01/2018
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33:12 | Audio | Play |
How to Register
How to Register
The Child Advocacy Clinic is offered in the Fall, Winter-Spring and Spring semester. You can learn about the required clinical course component, clinical credits, additional requirements, and the clinical registration process, by reading the course catalog description and exploring the links in this section.
In the News
In the News
- Continue Reading
Compassion and Commitment in Child Advocacy
Continue Reading about Compassion and Commitment in Child AdvocacyI was fortunate to work with the dedicated attorneys at the Children and Family Law Trial Division (CAFL) of the Committee for Public Counsel Services, the public defender agency for Massachusetts, during my 2L year. As a student in the Child Advocacy Clinic, I worked on-site at CAFL three days a week learning both the law and key lawyering skills under experienced supervising attorneys. There I realized how important it is to be a zealous advocate both in and out of the courtroom.
- Continue Reading
Giving back to my community through the Child Advocacy Clinic
Continue Reading about Giving back to my community through the Child Advocacy ClinicI was drawn to the Child Advocacy Clinic because it enables its students to give a voice to the voiceless, but more specifically, to give a voice to children, who are unfortunately too often overlooked in our society. I’ve learned an enormous amount through the Child Advocacy Clinic, not just through my work with the G.R.A.C.E. Court, but by listening to my peers’ experiences during our weekly seminar.
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Contact
Child Advocacy Program
Harvard Law School
23 Everett Street, Suite G24
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 496-1684
cap@law.harvard.edu
Visit Clinic’s Website