Family & Children Mediation Clinic

Students in the clinic will mediate actual cases referred by judges, attorneys, or parties in local and nearby counties. Students will mediate custody, parenting time, child support, asset and debt division, and other disputes between parents or guardians in family law cases. During the semester, the students will co-mediate cases in teams of two. Class training in the clinic will focus on interdisciplinary training, the development of the students& 039; mediation skills, and advanced mediation topics, including drafting mediation agreements, effective mediation practice, domestic violence concerns, involvement of children in mediation, and the effect of certain ethical issues and concerns on mediation practice. Students will keep a reflective journal of their mediation experiences, and will share their experiences with Professor Applegate and the other students in case rounds during class. Mediations will be conducted primarily at the law school. The clinic will be taught and supervised by Professor Applegate. In addition, students who have successfully completed the clinic in a prior semester may assist in mentoring and co-mediating with clinic students. The pre-requisite to the clinic is B563 (Domestic Relations Mediation), which is taught once each year just before the start of the fall semester. Approximately half the students in the course take the clinic in the fall semester and the other half take the clinic in the spring semester. Students earn 3 credit hours in the course and 4 credit hours in the clinic.