Community Lawyering Clinic
COMMUNITY LAWYERING CLINIC (Domestic Violence / Junta)
The Community Lawyering Clinic (CLC) provides direct civil legal services to clients, working through two local non-profits in the New Haven area: JUNTA for Progressive Action and the Coordinating Council for Children in Crisis (CCCC). Because the communities we serve have a constant and persistent need for legal services, students generally maintain an active caseload, with significant responsibilities for multiple clients’ cases throughout the semester. CLC students thus experience high levels of client contact, through both weekly outreach sessions and individual client meetings.
The classroom curriculum includes two types of sessions. Full-clinic sessions give students an opportunity to discuss the ethical questions raised by our practice, the lawyering skills necessary to serve our clients, and broader issues such as policy advocacy, organizing, community education, and impact litigation. In addition, students in each section (JUNTA / CCCC) attend separate classes on a variety of topics of particular relevance to their clients. Each semester also includes a field-trip tour of New Haven and guest lectures from community leaders.
CCCC: Serving Survivors of Domestic Violence
Students working with CCCC provide comprehensive legal services for survivors of domestic violence. Students conduct outreach onsite at CCCC, an organization working to prevent domestic abuse, neglect, and victimization by providing home visiting and outreach, parenting education, family strengthening activities, counseling, and advocacy for both children and adults.
The legal consultation and representation provided by the Clinic are an important part of CCCC’s broader efforts to support and strengthen families in need. From divorce and child custody proceedings to special education litigation and defense against eviction, CLC’s legal services provide critical support to CCCC clients as they create a more secure, safe, and stable environment for themselves and their children. Students often have the opportunity to appear in Connecticut Superior Court, represent clients in Family Relations mediation, and negotiate with opposing parties or counsel.
The separate CCCC class sessions focus on domestic violence issues such as children and custody, poverty and welfare, non-traditional forms of battering, civil remedies, and marital rape. Additionally, these class sessions address the important psychological issues at play in domestic violence situations, so that students can better understand the unique challenges of this particular client community.
JUNTA for Progressive Action: Serving the Fair Haven Community
Students working with JUNTA provide comprehensive legal services to residents of Fairhaven, a predominantly Latino and immigrant neighborhood of New Haven. Students conduct outreach at JUNTA, a community-based non-profit that offers services, programs, and advocacy on behalf of the Latino community of New Haven.
Clients come to JUNTA with a wide variety of legal issues, including family law, benefits law, housing law, employment law, and immigration law. With such diverse caseloads, students often have opportunities to appear in Connecticut Superior Court, immigration proceedings, administrative hearings, and informal meetings with case workers, opposing counsel, and others.
The class sessions for the JUNTA section incorporate education on the substantive law and procedure most often necessary to help our clients (including employment law, immigration law, and public benefits law).
The Community Lawyering Clinic (CLC) provides direct civil legal services to clients, working through two local non-profits in the New Haven area: JUNTA for Progressive Action and the Coordinating Council for Children in Crisis (CCCC). Because the communities we serve have a constant and persistent need for legal services, students generally maintain an active caseload, with significant responsibilities for multiple clients’ cases throughout the semester. CLC students thus experience high levels of client contact, through both weekly outreach sessions and individual client meetings.
The classroom curriculum includes two types of sessions. Full-clinic sessions give students an opportunity to discuss the ethical questions raised by our practice, the lawyering skills necessary to serve our clients, and broader issues such as policy advocacy, organizing, community education, and impact litigation. In addition, students in each section (JUNTA / CCCC) attend separate classes on a variety of topics of particular relevance to their clients. Each semester also includes a field-trip tour of New Haven and guest lectures from community leaders.
CCCC: Serving Survivors of Domestic Violence
Students working with CCCC provide comprehensive legal services for survivors of domestic violence. Students conduct outreach onsite at CCCC, an organization working to prevent domestic abuse, neglect, and victimization by providing home visiting and outreach, parenting education, family strengthening activities, counseling, and advocacy for both children and adults.
The legal consultation and representation provided by the Clinic are an important part of CCCC’s broader efforts to support and strengthen families in need. From divorce and child custody proceedings to special education litigation and defense against eviction, CLC’s legal services provide critical support to CCCC clients as they create a more secure, safe, and stable environment for themselves and their children. Students often have the opportunity to appear in Connecticut Superior Court, represent clients in Family Relations mediation, and negotiate with opposing parties or counsel.
The separate CCCC class sessions focus on domestic violence issues such as children and custody, poverty and welfare, non-traditional forms of battering, civil remedies, and marital rape. Additionally, these class sessions address the important psychological issues at play in domestic violence situations, so that students can better understand the unique challenges of this particular client community.
JUNTA for Progressive Action: Serving the Fair Haven Community
Students working with JUNTA provide comprehensive legal services to residents of Fairhaven, a predominantly Latino and immigrant neighborhood of New Haven. Students conduct outreach at JUNTA, a community-based non-profit that offers services, programs, and advocacy on behalf of the Latino community of New Haven.
Clients come to JUNTA with a wide variety of legal issues, including family law, benefits law, housing law, employment law, and immigration law. With such diverse caseloads, students often have opportunities to appear in Connecticut Superior Court, immigration proceedings, administrative hearings, and informal meetings with case workers, opposing counsel, and others.
The class sessions for the JUNTA section incorporate education on the substantive law and procedure most often necessary to help our clients (including employment law, immigration law, and public benefits law).