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Family Law

Location: United States
Experience Type: Virtual Experience
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Experience what it’s really like to be a family lawyer by providing advice to clients and preparing documentation for Family Law Court Orders

Are you interested in becoming a family lawyer? Leo Cussen Centre for Law trains people with a law degree to become practical lawyers. Our training is about putting you in a simulated environment so that you experience what it’s really like to solve family law issues in legal practice. This internship focuses on legal research and communication skills, identifying Parenting and Property Arrangements, and preparing court documents for a client whose children are missing, possibly taken out of the country.

Please note that the tasks within this program are hypothetical and for learning purposes only. The scenario you will hear about is fictional and the client is portrayed by an actor. Please be aware that there is explicit language used within the program, which may be upsetting for some participants.

This program is self-paced. It takes approximately >9 hours to complete.

Skills Learned:

  • Researching the area of Family Law
    You are introduced to a handful of key Family Law resources to gain a cursory yet useful understanding of Family Law concepts.

    • Legal Research
    • Legal Application
    • Information Synthesis
  • Interviewing and taking instructions
    In this task, you will meet a Family Law client. You will consider what you may do to calm the client’s anxiety, listen to them and then attempt to answer their questions.

    • Empathetic Listening
    • Emotional Intelligence
    • Family Law Application
  • Sharpening your assertive communication skills
    In this task you will do some guided reading and answer a very simple quiz in assertive communication.

    • Assertive Communication
    • Emotional Intelligence
  • Parenting and Property Arrangements: taking instructions and categorising
    Listen carefully to the client and categorise which concerns of the client fall under Parenting and which falls under Property.

    • Active Listening
    • Legal Research
    • Family Law
  • Receiving the call: identifying the issues and ascertaining further information required
    Listen to the client and write a very brief chronology to determine what has happened. Also identify further information that may be required.

    • Active Listening
    • Information Organization
    • Gap Analysis
  • Application for contravention of court orders
    Preparing to make an application for contravention of court parenting orders in anticipation that the former husband has deliberately contravened a parenting order but may not be intending to leave the country with the children.

    • Legal Research
    • Legal Compliance
    • Researching, Ordering, and Organising Legal Information
    • Court Procedures
  • Advising a client on a Children’s Recovery Order
    Preparing to make an urgent application for a Children’s Recovery Order in anticipation that the former husband is intending to take the children out of the country.

    • Legal Research
    • Family Law Procedures
    • Researching, Ordering and Organising Legal Information
    • Court Procedures
  • Advising on return of children from another country
    Preparing to make an urgent application for children to be returned from another country.

    • Legal Research
    • International Family Law
    • Researching, Ordering and Organising Legal Information
    • International Law
  • Synthesising or summarising information for your supervisor
    Synthesising or summarising the 3 legal practice tasks into one oral summary: 1. Application for contravention of court parenting orders 2. Advising a client on a Children’s Recovery Order, and 3. Advising on return of children from another country.

    • Effective Communication
    • Legal Process Summary
    • Verbal Presentation
  • Finish Line

Experience Information

Sponsor
Leo Cussen
Learn More
Giselle FrechetteForage logo
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Contact & Location

Phone
413-572-5206
Email
careers@westfield.ma.edu
Website
https://careers.westfield.ma.edu/
Address

Westfield State University
Parenzo Hall, 130
577 Western Avenue
Westfield, MA 01086

Career Service Hours

Day of the week
Hours of Operation Summer Hours
M Monday 8:30 am- 4:30 pm 8:00 am- 4:00 pm
T Tuesday 8:30 am- 4:30 pm 8:00 am- 4:00 pm
W Wednesday 8:30 am- 4:30 pm 8:00 am- 4:00 pm
TH Thursday 8:30 am- 4:30 pm 8:00 am- 4:00 pm
F Friday 8:30 am- 4:30 pm 8:00 am- 4:00 pm

Meet the Team

Junior Delgado Meet Junior
Giselle Frechette Meet Giselle
Dino Innarelli Meet Dino
Jennifer Dobiecki Meet Jennifer
Rachel Gelina Meet Rachel
Sharon Welch Meet Sharon
Lori Putnam Meet Lori
Phone
413-572-5206
Email
careers@westfield.ma.edu
Website
https://careers.westfield.ma.edu/
Address

Westfield State University
Parenzo Hall, 130
577 Western Avenue
Westfield, MA 01086

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