Course Listing
Courses in the Graduate Program in Family Law include:
Advanced Litigation Techniques
2 credits
This class will expose students to the effective use of stipulations, the ability to narrow issues using special motions, insight as to how to prepare exhibits for maximum impact, strategic use of effective opening statements and closing arguments, and the development of a trial notebook.
Family Law Mediation and Negotiation
2 credits
Family law courts increasingly rely on various alternative dispute resolution programs. A contemporary practitioner must be well-versed and well-prepared for these alternatives to litigation.
Financial Aspects of Divorce
2 credits
This class will explore divorce taxation, valuation of business entities, valuation of deferred income plans, and sophisticated financial documents, such as complex tax returns, financial statements, and various corporate reports.
Advanced Family Law Motion Practice and Procedure
2 credits
This course will concentrate on emerging areas in family law. Topics include parental rights and responsibilities in reproductive technology cases, pre- and post-nuptial agreements, courts of concurrent jurisdiction, strategies to avoid discharges in bankruptcy, special laws unique to Native Americans, and cohabitation agreements.
Children and Divorce
2 credit hours
This course is designed to train the practitioner to become children's representatives, attorneys for the child and guardian ad litae. Issues will include rights of children, parents and the state, decisions about medical care, juvenile courts, child abuse and neglect, and education and the law. This course will also help students develop interview techniques to solicit requisite information necessary to effectively represent the child before the court. With the ever increasing number of cases in matters of paternity, adoption, and divorce, issues of psychology become more important in resolving the custodial placement of a child. This course will also instruct students in the use and value of the various psychological tests used by the court today. Students will learn how to prepare a case strategy using expert witnesses to their maximum potential as well as learning effective cross examination skills.
Family Law Trial Advocacy and Litigation Strategies
3 credit hours
Advanced Motion Practice and Pleading in Family Law
2 credit hours
Independent Research
2 credits
Each student will be required to choose a contemporary topic in family law and write a publishable quality research paper. Students will work in close contact with their advisors and should expect to go through at least 2 editing cycles (3 drafts) for each paper.
Externship*
9 credits
Up to 7 full-time students a year will be placed in a law office or clinic that practices family law. In either case, students will be expected to perform the work of a lawyer. Professor Feldman will supervise these externships extensively. Technically, he will act as co-counsel on any case the students work on. He will meet with each student no less than two times per week and review all case assignments to ensure that the student receives exposure to the various concepts being taught in the rest of the program. Professor Feldman will also meet regularly with the student's off-site supervisor to discuss both the school's expectations in the placement and the student's performance of those expectations. It is expected that each student will spend 27 hours per week on the externship.
*Part-time students who are unable to complete an externship may substitute three J.D. courses which focus on family law issues to satisfy the LL.M. degree requirements. Any proposed course of study will need to be approved by Professors Feldman and Baker.
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