All Law School Domestic Violence
Programs Should Connect Students to the
Community
All law school courses addressing domestic
violence can link students to community organizations.
Students can learn about the impact of the law on real cases
whether they represent clients, participate in
multidisciplinary task forces, draft legislation, or conduct
research on critical issues. These connections enhance the
legal education of students while providing concrete
assistance to victims and the community.
Interdisciplinary Programs Enrich Legal Education and
Improve the Provision of Services to Clients
Incorporating interdisciplinary perspectives into law
school courses may be beneficial throughout the curricula,
but it is invaluable in domestic violence courses. Students
can understand the dynamics of family violence and
systemic responses to victims if they comprehend the
psychosocial aspects of domestic violence. Equally
important, students can improve their lawyering skills and
their ability to practice law if their legal education
integrates multidisciplinary components.
A growing number of law school programs have begun to incorporate interdisciplinary
perspectives into domestic violence courses, beginning in the classroom. For
instance, the Domestic Violence Advocacy Project offered by the George Washington
University Law School is an interdisciplinary clinical program co-taught by
a clinical law professor and a clinical psychologist specializing in domestic
violence issues.(110) As
a result of the clinic's integrated approach, which educates students on both
the legal and psychosocial aspects of domestic violence, students are better
able to represent victims in civil or criminal cases.
Integrating psychosocial issues into the course
expands the educational opportunities of a traditional legal
clinic in a number of ways. Dr. Mary Ann Dutton, the
DVAP's clinical psychologist, teaches several substantive
classes about the psychosocial aspects of domestic
violence. Dr. Dutton also assists law students to develop
their interviewing and counseling skills, and to understand
the role that expert witnesses can play in domestic violence
cases. The active participation of a clinical psychologist
assists students to better understand and communicate with
clients, and to process their own reactions to the
challenging issues that arise in domestic violence cases.
Law school programs which connect students to
interdisciplinary programs in the community enhance
student education as well. Whether structured as externship
programs, or as seminars or clinics, courses which link
students to community programs improve their
understanding of the resources available to victims. In
addition to demonstrating to law students that legal services
may be more effective when offered to clients in non-traditional settings, interdisciplinary law school programs
can fill gaps in services needed by the community.
Interdisciplinary programs in pre-existing
community organizations teach law students to interact
with service providers from other professions, including
health care professionals, social workers, psychologists,
and police officers, among others. These experiences train
lawyers to provide holistic services to clients. This may
mean integrating other disciplines into the legal case, such
as calling a psychologist as an expert witness, or making
appropriate cross-disciplinary referrals to serve a client's
non-legal needs. Community members also benefit; they
increase their knowledge of domestic violence issues by
working with law students in interdisciplinary programs.
Law School Programs May Also Be Linked to Local
Programs Providing Direct Services to Victims
Victims of domestic violence may seek emergency
services from local domestic violence hotlines, shelters, or
programs. While some programs employ advocates who
are tremendously knowledgeable about legal remedies for
domestic violence, other organizations do not have the
resources to provide legal assistance. Law students can fill
this gap by working with local programs to provide direct
legal services to victims. For example, students may
present legal workshops at shelters to provide victims with
basic information about their legal rights, or they may
conduct individual interviews to screen potential clients for
legal representation. Students often gain a better
understanding of domestic violence by working directly
with victims, and they may also improve their interviewing
and counseling skills.
Law school programs may place students in
domestic violence prevention or intervention programs
other than direct services programs. For instance, students
may enrich their community education skills by developing
and presenting dating violence prevention programs for
teenagers. Teaching this type of program can enhance the
public speaking skills of students, as well as their
substantive knowledge. Innovative programs have begun
to integrate law students into domestic violence prosecution
units, law enforcement units, or batterers intervention
programs as well.
Law School Programs May Be Connected to the Judicial
System
Law school courses which allow students to work in the courts can provide
students with a valuable learning experience. For many students, court-based
programs are their first opportunity to observe how the pieces of the legal
system fit together. Students learn the effects of civil procedure, evidence,
and criminal law on individual cases. Observing attorneys and judges can provide
a model for improving student lawyering skills. While clinical programs may
provide students with rigorous litigation experience, students also gain a great
deal from participating in programs in which they assist pro se clients in court.(111)
Law School Programs Can Introduce Students to Non-Litigation Alternatives to Lawyering
Courses which focus on lawyering skills other than
trial practice skills enhance legal education by exposing
students to a different type of lawyering. Law students who
intend to pursue public interest careers may benefit from
courses which teach community outreach or legislative
drafting skills. Domestic violence issues provide an ideal
model for developing these policy skills, since domestic
violence legislation is being drafted at a rapid pace across
the country. Law students may participate in local or state-wide efforts to combat domestic violence by developing
legislative agendas and drafting new legislation. Students
can also conduct legal research for grassroots domestic
violence programs or state coalitions. Such programs
enable students to improve their legal research and writing
skills while contributing to legal reforms that benefit
victims. In addition, the programs allow students to
observe the legislative process firsthand and become
acquainted with leaders in the criminal justice or family law
fields.
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