Nebraska College Of Law adding Children’s Justice Clinic

Nebraska’s College Of Law is adding a new program, the Children’s Justice Clinic

The new addition to the University of Nebraska’s College Of Law hopes to give law students hands-on experience and provide children in child welfare cases with quality representation.

Director Of The Children Justice Clinic, Michelle Paxton says, “Providing reflective consultation to work with students, on all the emotional issues that come with these cases; will help them be able to adapt better when they graduate.”

The first clinic will have eight students at the start of the Fall semester. The program will provide third-year law students with the opportunity to partner with experts from the Center On Child, Families and Law, and take on actual cases.The cases will be chosen by Lancaster County.

“What makes this program unique and sets us apart from other programs, is the partnership with CCFL. So, very few clinical programs will bring in experts to help students walk through how to handle these cases,” said Paxton.

Funds for the program came from $900,000 in private donations, which will go to the University of Nebraska Foundation, for over three years.

Dean, Richard Moberly says the clinic is important for future lawyers.

“We have several goals for the clinic, one is to provide great training, in an area where they can display a lot of professional skills and learn a lot of different skills with real people,” said Moberly

Another goal?

To fill gaps in the child welfare system, and address lack of lawyers able to take on cases in rural areas, in addition to the lack of representation for minorities.

This is the fifth clinic, along with the Civil Clinic, Criminal Clinic and Entrepreneurship Clinic at the School.