In addition to claims made within the conventional bounds of marriage and divorce law, child custody and adoption law, and laws protecting children from abuse and neglect, this introductory course examines claims made by nonmarital partners, gamete donors, surrogate mothers, victims of domestic violence, and others challenging the traditional legal order in the rapidly changing field of family law. Additional topics may be covered at the discretion of the instructor.

A substantive, foundational course that deals with the laws, regulations, and policies impacting the family and its relationship to the government. This is one of the four upper level gateway courses of which all students are required to complete two or three (depending on one’s position in the class) for graduation. Material presented in this course is heavily tested on the New York Law Exam (NYLE) and Multistate Essay Exam (MEE).

Recommended for the Following Professional Pathways: Civil Rights/Civil Liberties; Criminal Defense; Criminal Prosecution; Family Law; Government/Public Sector; Immigration; International Law/Human Rights; Labor and Employment; Health Care Management and Compliance; Real Estate and Land Use; Tax; Trusts and Estates; General Practice – Litigation/Dispute Resolution; General Practice – Transactional

3 Credits