Family Law Clinical Practicum
From left: Marisa Gunhouse, Joshua Breeze, Mia Treuer, Professor Ariana Meyers, & Morgan Wentz
The University of North Dakota School of Law is excited to announce the introduction
of The Family Law Clinical Practicum to our curriculum for second-year and third-year
law students. The Practicum begins in the spring 2021 semester and allows students
the opportunity to develop their legal writing and advocacy skills while gaining real-world
experience with clients in a faculty-supported setting.
The Practicum is a full-year course, with a focus on pedagogical learning in the fall
semester and practical experience in the spring semester. The Practicum grounds itself
in development of practical skills necessary to move family law cases from initial
client interview to Judgment. Student attorneys are expected to conduct client and
witness interviews, make court appearances, manage the client’s file, prepare written
documents (used both internally and filed with the court), organize discovery, understand,
and apply the rules of civil procedure and explain the process to and counsel the
client. The types of cases the Practicum will accept are divorce, custody, juvenile
guardianships, domestic violence protection orders, and disorderly conduct restraining
orders.
Four students were selected for the Practicum in the 2020-2021 academic year. They are Joshua Breeze, Marisa Gunhouse, Mia Treuer and Morgan Wentz. The Practicum will be lead by faculty supervisor Assistant Professor Ariana D. Meyers.