What do students do in this clinic?
Students represent parents who are involved in the child welfare system, often after their children have been removed from their home. They appear on behalf of their clients at all court hearings, contested trials, and potentially on appeal. The Clinic operates using an inter-disciplinary model, where law students work in partnership with graduate-level social work students to provide support to the parents both in and outside the court room.
Child Welfare Certificate
The Child Welfare Certificate allows student to specialize in an important and developing area of law. Through this certificate students will have an opportunity to focus on child welfare issues, courtroom advocacy, trauma- informed practices, and secondary trauma in the legal system.
Scotty Ducharme ’19 tells how his family’s experience with a Legal Aid attorney years earlier inspired him to come to Mitchell Hamline and eventually work in Child Protection Clinic.
Nadine Graves ’17 and Whitney Buchelt ’18 talk about their experience in the Child Protection Clinic at Mitchell Hamline.
Faculty and Staff
