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
In 1992, the Clinic was created and founded by then co-directors, Clinical Professor Emeritus Suzanne Tomkins '92 and Dr. Catherine Cerulli, JD PhD '92. The late, beloved Professor Isabel Marcus offered substantial support and input during the formation of the Clinic. In the early years, the Clinic helped to lay the groundwork towards the establishment of an infrastructure which created and supported domestic violence community collaborations in Western New York.
The Clinic helped to develop protocols and policies for many counties, localities, and other public and private domestic violence organizations throughout the eight counties of Western New York and beyond. The Clinic worked with local and statewide advocacy groups to support statewide domestic violence legislative reform. The Clinic placed law students in DV-related placements in Western New York; countless students graduated and became leaders in their fields, assuming leadership positions in the field of family violence.
In 2015, the Clinic was re-structured to a model in which students enrolled in the clinic become certified to practice law under the supervision of clinical faculty. Clinical Professor of Law Judith Olin took over as Clinic Director in 2016, supervising student attorneys with a Student Practice Order from the 4th Department of the Appellate Division. Student Attorneys represent individual victims of violence in civil family cases. While a typical Clinic client earns too much to qualify for a free, or pro bono attorney, the Clinic supports a population that is unable to afford private counsel, thus allowing the students to represent clients who would otherwise go without legal counsel.
Students work closely with staff from the Family Justice Center of Erie County, Child & Family Services Haven House, and other victim serving domestic violence organizations, who refer cases for legal representation.
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.