NYLAG is especially concerned with the serious and destructive circumstances of domestic violence. To alleviate the physical and emotional burden victims and their families endure, NYLAG's Domestic Violence Clinical Center (DVCC) assists clients in obtaining orders of protection and provides representation in custody and visitation matters in family court.
The DVCC operates as a collaborative project between NYLAG and area law schools. Second and third-year law students participate in a year-long externship to learn the skills necessary to represent battered women in Family Court. Supervised by NYLAG attorneys, DVCC students litigate family offense and domestic violence-related visitation and custody cases, handling matters from initial client consultation to court hearings. In addition, students are taught family, immigration and criminal law, as they relate to domestic violence. While encouraging a new generation of public interest lawyers, DVCC students increase NYLAG's capacity to serve clients with domestic violence issues.
NYLAG attorneys also supervise the Courtroom Advocates Project (CAP), which trains hundreds of law students to advocate on behalf of victims of domestic violence the first time they appear in Family Court seeking an order of protection. The students assist victims in drafting their petition for an order of protection, advocate meaningful temporary orders and appear with them on their return court date.
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