What Is a Family Law Assistance Project and Why Do You Need to Know about It?
A Family Law Assistance Project, also known as FLAP, is collaboration between the Lakeshore and Cooley Legal Aid. Students eager to work in this legal field will become FLAP staff attorneys and they’ll be representing people with low incomes in domestic violence and family law matters. One of the program’s main advantage is that they’ll have a unique opportunity to practice and litigate family law as well as represent low income citizens in real life.
About FLAP
Avid students who want to perfect their skills in family law should consider FLAP. It will give them an opportunity to represents clients gaining experience through practice. Throughout the duration of the family law assistance project, applicants will learn to:
- represent, interview and counsel clients;
- practice law under the close supervision of proficient attorneys;
- show up in court and know more about the tasks involved when working with experienced attorneys;
- learn useful things from mentors and supervisors;
- hone their public speaking skills;
- work in a cooperative and collegial environment with other students;
- apply legal theories learned in class to real life situations;
- engage in conversations and negotiations with active community attorneys.
Learning the Feeling of Responsibility and Commitment
A Family Law Assistance Project welcomes students to enroll in 1 or 2 consecutive terms. Those who want to attend both programs will be required to complete one program first, and then move on to the next. Students can register for three to five credits per term, and the maximum numbers of credits shouldn’t go beyond 10. When beginning each term, you will be compelled to attend a thorough orientation course; the purpose is to help familiarize the students with basic legal issues and procedures that they’ll be dealing with when representing clients.
The orientation course is highly recommended because it brings you up to speed on essential legal matters, thus helping you start practicing law as soon as possible. In order to maintain communication with clients, your supervisor, and the staff you need to be in the office regularly. To be able to do that, students are advised to organize their other classes and schedule. One of the most frequently asked questions regarding FLAP is “How much work does it involve?” Students usually want to know how many hours are required to complete the two terms. Students should be prepared to invest 18-22 hours/week into office-related work. Every credit requires an average numbers of 4 hours.
Student Requirements
Students who want to enroll in FLAP will need to have a cumulative GPA of a minimum 2.00. Also, they need to have earned at least 40 credit hours and have the following courses completed:
- Civil Procedure I & II;
- Professional Responsibility;
- Evidence and Research;
- Writing.
There also some extra courses students might want to consider as well: Trial Skills, Pretrial Skills and Family Law. Applicants who choose to take the recommended courses too, are closer to graduating successfully. Furthermore, students who have submitted applications in the past are also highly preferred.
Enrolling in a Family Law Assistance Project can be incredibly useful to law students who want to practice in the legal system. The program is centered on real-life training that prepares a student for a career in family law, and it is supported by Cooley Law School at the Western Michigan University.