National Center for Family Law - Curriculum & Student Information
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Concentration in Family Law
The National Center for Family Law offers law students at the University of Richmond the opportunity to earn a Certificate of Concentration in Family Law to be awarded at graduation along with the J.D. diploma. Transcripts will also reflect completion of the Concentration program.
Earning the Certificate of Concentration in Family Law is similar to completing a major as an undergraduate. A student must take a basic Family Law course and a certain number of credits from other Family Law related courses. Students seeking the Certificate of Concentration in Family Law will meet their upper level writing requirement by writing on a family law related subject.
Application for Certification in Family Law (MS-Word) Due Friday, April 17, 2009.
Certificate of Concentration Requirements
Total Family Law Credits Required: Each student must
take a total of 24credits from family law concentration courses or those
identified as related.
Required courses: Each student must take the following
courses:
- Family Law (3)
- Ethical Issues in Family Law (2) * This course is not currently offered
- An approved clinic (5-7) * Students can apply no more than 7 clinic credits toward meeting the requirements for the Certificate of Concentration. (Only 12 clinic credits may be credited toward the 86 needed for graduation)
- An upper level writing requirement (2) * All concentration students must complete their upper level writing requirement on a family law related topic. The topic for any paper submitted to satisfy the family law upper level writing requirement must be approved by the Director of the National Center for Family Law in consultation with the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and must satisfy the standards applicable for the upper-level writing requirement as set forth in the Student Handbook. This paper must be written in conjunction with either an upper level writing seminar or an independent research project of at least 2 credits.
Target courses: Each student must take at least one of the following courses:
- Alternative Dispute Resolution (2)
- Negotiations (2)
- Interviewing & Counseling (2)
Family Law Concentration Classes: Students may count any of the following toward completion of the concentration requirements except as otherwise indicated:
- Family Law (3 credit hours) – required
- Advanced Family Law Seminar (2) (satisfies upper level writing requirement)
- Muslim Family Law (3)
- Role of the Lawyer in Mediation (2)
- Children & the Law (3)
- Education Law (2)
- Child Support & Enforcement (2)
- Domestic Violence Seminar (2) (satisfies upper level writing requirement)
- Sexual Orientation and the Law (2)
- Estate Planning (2)
- Wills and Trusts (4)
- Estate and Gift Tax (2)
- Bioethics (2)
- Income Tax (4)
- Marriage, Money, and the Law (3)
- Collaborative law (2)
- Family Law Clinic (6)
- Disability Law Clinic (6)
- Delinquency Clinic (6)
- Juvenile Law & Policy Clinic (5)
- Advanced Children’s Law Clinic (2 – 6)
- Clinical Placement Program (5 – 7) [selected approved placements only]
- Focus on the Family (3) (satisfies upper level writing requirement)
Credit for independent studies, research assistance, family law moot court competitions, and courses taught outside the University of Richmond School of Law may be approved as sufficiently related to family law by the Director of the National Center for Family law in consultation with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
Grade Point Average: Certificates will be awarded only to those who achieve a grade point average of at least 3.0 in all family law concentration classes taken. Students whose GPA is 3.5 or higher in concentration courses will earn the certificate “with distinction.”