The Family and Domestic Violence Law Clinic of the Legal Services Center focuses on offering clients legal assistance on divorce, domestic violence, paternity, child and spousal support, adoption, and guardianship.

The Family Law Clinic addresses issues of custody, visitation, child and spousal support, health and life insurance, and the equitable division of marital property and debt in the context of divorce, paternity, modification, contempt, guardianship, and adoption actions. The Clinic also provides a broad range of direct legal services to the LGBT community, with a particular emphasis on family-related legal issues (custody, support and visitation, and second-parent adoptions) and estate planning (wills, powers of attorneys, partnership agreements) to ensure that same-sex partners and families are legally protected.

The Domestic Violence Clinic focuses on abuse prevention, safety, and making sure that domestic violence is not a barrier to a client’s legal rights regarding custody, property division, and other aspects of family and domestic relations.

Students have the opportunity to:

• Conduct factual and legal research
• Interview clients
• Draft complaints and other legal documents
• Draft and respond to discovery requests
• Negotiate with opposing parties and counsel
• Argue motions and represent clients in district court and family and probate court
• Develop and present trainings and workshops

These clinics are part of the Legal Services Center (LSC), a general practice community law office in Jamaica Plain. LSC’s diverse clinics provide clinical instruction to second- and third-year law students and serve as a laboratory for the innovative delivery of legal services. Students are taught and mentored under the supervision and guidance of clinical instructors and fellows in one of LSC’s litigation clinical practices.

See FAQs for Clinic Students