Juvenile and Family Law Clinic

Mission and Clients Scope Types of Legal Assistance General Information
Mission and Clients

TheJuvenile and Family Law Clinic (JFLC) provides legal services for indigent children, youth,and families. Our clients are referred to us through the courts and Boulder County Legal Services. Children and families facing abuse,poverty, homelessness, and despair are among the neediest members of ourcommunity requiring quality legal representation. Student attorneys in the JFLC helpmeet that need.

JFLCclients are predominantly children and youth in the child welfare orthe juvenile justice system, or low income parents needing divorce or custody assistance. Clinic students act as the leadattorneys on their cases, and work with their clients from the beginning of afamily law case through its conclusion. Students are responsible for gatheringinformation and documents, preparing court filings, appearing at court statusconferences, mandatory mediation, and court hearings. The JFLC helps students to develop good client relationships, to become competent inColorado juvenile and family law in particular, and in Colorado civil practice more broadly.

JFLC is a yearlongcourse so that students are able to work on their cases from start to finish. Typically, students begin by interviewing their clients (this may be during a home visit for child welfare clients), preparing and filing initial court pleadings, and taking the lead at administrative and emergency hearings. At such hearings, students may present opening and closingstatements and examine witnesses. In the spring semester, typically studentsprepare for and attend mediation on each of their cases, including preparingmediation statements. For cases that are not resolved at mediation, studentstake the lead on a final contested hearing. Hearings include preparing a pre-hearing brief, opening and closing statements, and witness examinations.

In addition to casework, studentsmeet weekly in seminar. In the fall, the seminar focuses on the substantive law in domestic relations and the children's code, while in the spring we focus on juvenile delinquency. We explore statutes, case law and law practice issues like ethics, client counseling, and negotiation, to name a few. In the spring, each student teaches a week of class on a topic ofher or his choosing, related to clinic work or experiences.

JFLC exposes students to legal issues surrounding intra-familial disputes, as well as when the government intervenes in the family. Studentattorneys have:

  • Represented children in state court as the child’s guardian ad litem, or legal representative;
  • Represented homeless/runaway youth and pregnant and parenting teens;
  • Advocatedfor youth clients in mental health institutions;
  • Represented young people charged as juveniles, or as adults, in thecriminal justice system;
  • Representedparents and children in adoptions;
  • Represented parties in Special Immigrant Juvenile Status cases, and Indian Child Welfare Act cases;
  • Handledappeals;
  • Representedrespondents in civil child welfare cases;
  • Representedparties in truancy cases;
  • Draftedamici briefs in the Colorado Supreme Court on cutting edge child welfare issues; and
  • Presentedat statewide legal conferences on engaging and empowering youth.

Juvenile Law Clinic slide show

Henderson

“I am already making a difference in law school. Clinics give you a truly hands-on practical experience. Instead of having to wait until after you graduate, you get the experience of being the lead lawyer by meeting with clients and making arguments in court before a judge.” - Xakema Henderson ('14)

Crane

“My favorite moment in clinic was when I won my first case and I got to send my kids home for the holidays. The parenting plan negotiations had been held up but I was pushing for more parenting time and it worked. It was a really amazing feeling to know I helped the kids avoid being in foster care longer and make it home for the holidays.” - Holli Crane ('14)

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