At Cardozo, students have the opportunity to earn a concentration in family law, enabling them to graduate fully prepared to become specialists in the field.  Students may choose from a variety of interesting courses in addition to Family Law, the foundational course for the concentration.  These courses include:  Child, Parent and State; Domestic Violence, Child Abuse and the Criminal Law; Sexual Orientation, Gender and the Law; Bioethics; and Divorce Mediation.  Courses focus on building legal skills, critiquing policy justification for existing laws, and exploring how the law responds to large societal changes.

Students sharpen practical skills by working in a variety of clinics or participating in internships.  The Family Court Clinic offers students the opportunity to work with judges or attorneys representing clients in New York Family Court.  Through the Mediation Clinic, students become expert problem solvers as they hone communication and negotiation skills.  Students learn to help elderly clients navigate the maze of government regulation through the Bet Tzedek Clinic.  Summer Institute Courses, which are combined with internships, offer students an additional opportunity to network and build expertise.  And, as early as their first year of law school, students may volunteer for Cardozo Advocates for Battered Women, which provides representation for victims of domestic violence in family courts throughout New York City.

Finally, students who are interested in the exploring scholarly themes in family law may apply to join the Cardozo Women’s Law Journal, or the Cardozo Public Law, Policy, and Ethics Journal.  These journals offer challenging perspectives on such subjects as health care, family law and civil rights.  Students may write notes on the scholarly subject of their choosing.