The Domestic Violence Clinic provides comprehensive legal services to victims of domestic abuse and their children while educating University of Oregon law students.

The University of Oregon School of Law partnered with Legal Aid of Lane County, Womenspace (a domestic violence service provider) and Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS) (a service provider for survivors of sexual assault and stalking), and established the Domestic Violence Clinic.

The Clinic is physically housed at Lane County Legal Aid and Advocacy Center (LCLAAC), in a building dedicated solely to serving victims of domestic violence, stalkers, sexual assault and their children. The Clinic houses the largest group of attorneys providing civil legal services exclusively to victims of domestic abuse, stalking, and sexual assault in the state.

The Domestic Violence Clinic offers students the opportunity to participate in the Basic Clinic and the Advanced Clinic.

Students in the Basic Clinic represent victims whose batterers are contesting their petitions for a Family Abuse Protection Act (FAPA) order or a stalking order. Students draft pleadings, make court appearances, negotiate with opposing counsel, and engage in other legal practice. Contested hearings usually last a couple of hours, but have gone as long as three days. The cases typically involve evidentiary issues, such as entering in evidence police reports, 911 calls, medical reports, threatening letters, and custody evaluations. Some cases involve depositions, and other types of discovery. Our clients typically seek physical protection, custody of the parties' children, exclusive use of the residence, and emergency support.

Students average approximately three contested hearings a semester. The expedited procedure for obtaining FAPA and stalking orders makes these cases ideal for a one-semester clinical course. For example, the contested hearing must take place within five days if respondent requests a hearing and contests custody. Otherwise, the hearing must be held within twenty-one days of a respondent's request.

Students in the Advanced Clinic represent victims in a variety of other family law and legal matters, including divorce actions and child custody proceedings. These cases tend to be more difficult, and allow the students to draw upon their training and experience from the first semester.

The Basic Clinic has the capacity to accept eight students per semester. The Advanced Clinic can accommodate two students.

The Project is overseen by a steering committee comprised of members from the participating organizations. Merle Weiner, Caroline Forell and Leslie Harris represent the law school on the Project's steering committee. Together they monitor the Clinic to ensure a quality experience for the law students.

The Law Students' Training

Law student evaluations of the Clinic have been extremely positive. Many students have described the Clinic as their best learning experience in law school.

Part of the program's strength is the extensive instruction students receive on the substantive legal issues, as well as trial practice and procedure. This instruction and training comes from a variety of sources. First, all students are encouraged to complete the Domestic Violence Seminar, offered in the fall semester by Merle Weiner. The curriculum is designed specifically to complement the students' clinical experience. The seminar covers the major legal issues that will be encountered by the students. Students are required to do legal research, make a presentation, and have the option of satisfying their law school writing requirement.

Second, while in the Clinic, students attend a class run by the Supervising Attorney and Director of the Clinic. The class has extensive mock exercise. It also utilizes experts in the local community. Speakers have included judges, family and juvenile law specialists, child abuse experts, domestic violence prosecutors, an Assistant U.S. Attorney specializing in the Violence Against Women Act, mediators, an attorney specializing in appellate work, and community specialists in areas such as cross-cultural competence, the role of drug and alcohol abuse in domestic violence, and impact of domestic violence on children.

Third, the Clinic students receive one-on-one training and feedback from the Supervising Attorney who monitors their work. Other LCLAAC attorneys working in the Clinic also supplement this supervision. This interaction emphasizes pre-trial and trial practice skills.

Fourth, the students receive training from representatives of both Womenspace and SASS. At the beginning of each semester, community educators from Womenspace and SASS train the law students in domestic violence and sexual assault. The training emphasizes, among other things, how to deal with clients in crisis who have multiple needs.