Child Advocacy Law Clinic

In the Child Advocacy Law Clinic (CALC) our students don't just learn about law, they learn to be lawyers. Students are in control of their cases, under supervision, and complete all the steps required to take a case to court, just as they will when they begin practicing after law school. The clinic provides an in-depth, interdisciplinary experience working with problems of child abuse and neglect and of children in foster care. Students taking this clinic represent children, parents, or local county offices of the Department of Human Services in court cases that may be located in Washtenaw, Genesee, Wayne, Jackson, Monroe, or Calhoun counties.

Students work in partnerships and find that they have the true lead on their cases. Three faculty/attorneys, who are specialist in child advocacy law, supervise up to eight students each and act as advisers, but clinic students make the decisions about their cases.

With such responsibility, students are thoroughly prepared for each aspect of representing their clients, for their court experience, and for working in the field of child advocacy. The CALC program begins with a series of classes to prepare students for what will happen in court. Class sessions cover child welfare and procedure; preliminary hearing simulations; learning to interview clients, especially children; dealing with evidence; case and trial preparation, including direct and cross examination; and mock trial practices.

Cases and teams are assigned in the third week of class. From this point through the end of the semester, teams participate in case conferences. Besides the student attorneys, the conferences include the attorney/supervisors for each case, and a psychologist and a psychology student intern, who provide guidance. Depending on the needs of the case, students might also work with student colleagues from social work, pediatrics, and psychiatry.