Family Violence and Women’s Rights Clinic
Family Violence and Women's Rights Clinic in Albany with Director Judith Olin.
In the Family Violence and Women’s Rights Clinic (FVWRC), students are invited to join the fight towards attaining justice and safety for survivors of family violence.
Serving the unmet needs of local survivors in Western New York, the Family Violence & Women's Right Clinic seeks to fill the gap to ensure victims of violence receive the proper legal representation needed in many areas of the law, including family offense petitions, child support, custody, and visitation cases, and divorce.
- Family Violence and Women’s Rights Clinic Crossroads Fund (to support the work of our Clinic)
- Women, Children, and Social Justice Awards Fund (in honor of Prof. Suzanne Tomkins '92 & Dr. Catherine Cerulli '92)
- Dr. Isabel S. Marcus Fund for the Domestic Violence Clinic (in memory of Dr. Isabel S. Marcus)
The Family Violence & Women’s Rights Clinic is proudly funded partially by the New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and generous donors of the FVWRC.
Judith Olin
Director of Family Violence and Women’s Rights Clinic
Clinical Legal Education
Historically, Clinic students have engaged in community legally oriented training for groups of professionals in the domestic violence field and others. For many years, FVWRC students have trained students at area high schools in a Clinic-created teen dating violence prevention program.
In 2023, and 2024 Clinic students participated in the annual Teen Dating Violence Summit, a day in which a group of high school students from public and private schools throughout Erie County attend a program on healthy relationships and teen dating violence organized by the Erie County Commission on The Status of Women. Clinic students developed a domestic violence court watch toolkit and worked with Zonta and The Erie County Commission on the Status of Women on a final report.
Every semester, clinic students and faculty deliver trainings to new police recruits at the Erie County Central Police Services Training Academy on civil domestic violence legal issues. Clinic students and faculty regularly deliver petition drafting trainings to domestic violence advocates at non-profit agencies throughout Erie County. Former clinic student attorney Julia Merante’s memo on the history of mandatory teen dating violence prevention legislation provides a sophisticated analysis of Erin’s Law, a child sexual abuse prevention statute mandating education for pupils in K-8 grades, and how New York’s law falls short compared to other states. [Download Erin's Law Memo]
In 2023-2024 student attorneys developed a presentation on Extreme Risk Protection Orders, (ERPOS,) which can be used to immediately remove guns from a dangerous person. FVWRC students also developed a presentation on technology safety for DV survivors. Both presentations have been given at the Erie County Coalition Against Family Violence and other groups.
In 2023, student attorneys began planning a project geared towards assisting low- income individuals seeking a divorce who do not have access to an attorney. The Clinic finalized a Memorandum of Understanding with Neighborhood Legal Services to jointly develop this important program which will help create access to justice for those unable to get divorced because they cannot afford an attorney, and/or are unable to access free legal services. Clinic students and NLS attorneys will deliver community presentations in the fall of 2024, which will provide information and forms to assist pro se litigants. A help desk for follow up questions is planned.
In 2024, the Clinic initiated meetings with high-ranking officials at the University at Buffalo Police about assisting with detecting and removing stalking-type tracking devices on client’s vehicles. We have obtained equipment to assist the University Police for the removal of such devices.
Throughout the semester, student attorneys represent family violence survivors in Family and Integrated Domestic Violence courts. Most of the Clinics' clients are single, female, heads of household with young children. These survivors are struggling to emerge from the violence and rebuild their lives with adequate financial resources, and emotional support to care for themselves and their children.
Historically, Clinic students trained hundreds of high school students at area local public high schools in a Clinic-created teen dating violence prevention curriculum. More recently, the Clinic is exploring a partnership with Crisis Services of Buffalo and Erie County, a long-standing community educator on this topic. Clinic student attorney Julia Merante’s memo on the history of mandatory teen dating violence prevention legislation provides a sophisticated analysis of the newly enacted Erin’s Law, a child sexual abuse prevention statute mandating education for pupils in K-8 grades, and how New York’s law falls short compared to other states. [Download Erin's Law Memo]
Clinic students have participated in the annual Teen Dating Violence Summit organized by the Erie County Commission on The Status of Women. Clinic students have developed a domestic violence court watch toolkit, and are working with Zonta and The Erie County Commission on the Status of Women on implementation. [Download Court Safety Measures]
Every semester, clinic students and faculty deliver trainings on domestic violence legal issues to domestic violence advocates and law enforcement officers in Erie County.
Student Attorney Ashley Love created a white paper on the issue of the intersection between child protective services and domestic violence survivors, some of whom are reported for exposing their children to domestic violence. Love trained scores of mandated reporters, victim advocates and others throughout Western New York, advocating against findings of neglect for survivors. [Download Domestic Violence & Child Protective Services Mandated Reporting]
Student attorneys and Clinical faculty are currently working with a group of stakeholders, looking at the issue of improving timely service of temporary orders of protection.
Student Attorneys engage in legal research and other projects for domestic violence serving organizations, including the Violence Prevention Team at the University at Buffalo. Working in partnership with violence prevention specialists at UB, student attorneys created a guide to understanding the difference in standards of consent between Title IX and the NYS penal law. In an additional project, student attorney Jake Giovati received training in a new violence prevention program, “Rolling With Rejection,” a program geared towards helping men build awareness about and reject social norms of toxic masculinity. Mr. Giovati will work to deliver trainings in the fall. In collaboration with these allied stakeholders, students advocate for domestic violence systemic reform.
Wednesday, November 13, 2024 - Do-It-Yourself Uncontested Divorce Information Session
Join the University at Buffalo School of Law Family Violence and Women’s Rights Clinic in partnership with Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. for an event that will inform attendees on how to pursue an uncontested divorce on their own.
Incleded in the event:
- Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. will give a presentation regarding uncontested divorce in New York State and how to pursue an uncontested divorce on your own.
- Staff Attorneys and Student Attorneys from the Family Violence and Women’s Rights Clinic will provide information and support to attendees.
- Forms required for an uncontested divorce will be provided. Support for completion of forms will be available to attendees during the event.
The event will be held on November 13, 2024 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Downtown Central Library - 2nd Floor Collection Gallery Conference Room located at 1 Lafayette Square Buffalo, New York 14203.
To register for the event, email your name and contact information to law-fvwrclinic@buffalo.edu.
Tuesday, October 15, 2024 - Domestic Violence Summit
The Domestic Violence Summit occured at Buffalo State University, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 from 8am to 4:30pm in the Campbell Student Union. It featured Panel Discussions and Domestic Violence Experiential Training.
This event was sponsored by Child & Family Services, Buffalo State University Social Work Department, and the University at Buffalo School of Law Family Violence and Women's Rights Clinic.