Family Violence and Women’s Rights Clinic
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.
Make a Gift
- 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.
Bethany Cereo '18 training new Family Justice Center advocate
All FVWRC students are included on the Clinical Legal Education Program's Student Practice Order which authorizes them to practice law under the direct supervision of clinical faculty.
Student Attorneys work in teams and are assigned multiple cases throughout the semester. Student Attorneys become versed in a number of practice-ready skills including trauma-informed client interviewing and counseling, negotiation with opposing counsel and the attorney for the child, and preparation of a variety of legal documents such as petitions, agreements, orders, and divorce documents. Student attorneys develop case theories, investigate facts and stand up in Court to argue motions and, in some cases, examine witnesses in hearings and trials.
In weekly seminar classes and team meetings with the clinical faculty, students have the opportunity to discuss their cases in detail, analyzing each step taken, and getting input from fellow student attorneys. Students in the clinic hone their practice skills through in-class simulations in interviewing, negotiation, and other litigation skills, all while they learn the interpersonal skills needed to work with survivors of family violence and gain an understanding of unique ethical issues common to this field.
Jake M. Giovati '23 and Ashley E. Love '22
2020-2022
In the first year of the pandemic, Erie County experienced a surge in requests for civil orders of protection. Clinic students joined a community collaborative response by drafting and electronically filing family offense petitions requesting emergency orders of protection. Receiving referrals from the Family Justice Center, Clinic students continue to draft emergency petitions for orders of protection.
2022-2023
The Clinic is successful in a motion to dismiss two meritless petitions against our client, filed by her former romantic partner.
Clinic students secure a final order of protection which allows only supervised visitation and orders the abusive partner to attend a DV program and receive a substance abuse evaluation.
2023-2024
The Clinic increases its representation of low-income divorce litigants with a history of family violence who cannot afford private counsel.
Useful background courses include: Family Law, Domestic Violence Law, Children and the Law.
Students in the Family or Criminal Law Concentrations may take this clinic as part of their program.
Students in the JD/MSW Program may take this Clinic as their field placement.