| Students interested in helping victims of domestic abuse may enroll in the Domestic Violence Project, which is a joint project of Touro Law Center, Nassau/Suffolk Law Services, Inc., and other area law schools. The Domestic Violence Project operates in the Suffolk County Family Court, where victims of domestic violence arrive daily seeking protection from abuse, sexual assault, or intimidation by family members.
Under the supervision of experienced attorneys, students assist victims by drafting court pleadings, arguing for temporary orders of protection, and representing them in efforts to obtain more lasting legal protection. Each week the student spends one entire day in court.
To prepare for these responsibilities, students participate in an intensive training program at the start of the semester covering the dynamics of family violence; the social and psychological dimensions of domestic abuse; the system of shelters and social services available to victims; and the police and criminal court procedures involved in the response to domestic violence. Students learn special skills needed to interview and counsel clients who have endured these traumas. Because much of the students' work is in a courtroom setting, the training program includes sessions on Family Court procedure and trial practice skills appropriate to these cases.
Involvement in the project casts each student in the demanding, yet satisfying, role of an advisor to an often frightened and vulnerable client. The Domestic Violence Project operates as an individualized externship in conjunction with the course in Family Law or Advanced Family Law. Students may earn up to two (2) credits during the fall and spring semesters and up to three (3) credits in the summer session in this project.
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