The UW-Madison Law School offers an externship program (clinical) for students at the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WCADV). Eligibility for the externship requires permission from Atty. Tess Meuer and either completion of or current enrollment in the Law and Contemporary Problems: Domestic Violence workshop. The class is offered on Monday evenings from 5:40 pm to 8:30 pm in the fall semester. Sometimes the class is also offered in the spring semester. This externship is under the auspices of Prof. Victoria Nourse.
Two to three students are placed with the WCADV each semester,
including the summer semester.
Students are assigned any combination of the following:
- Assist the WCADV Staff Attorney with legal inquiries and
research
- Conduct legal research
- Update and create new material for the Legal Manual
- Update and create new material for use of those in the legal
arena, such as attorneys and judicial officers, who have contact
with victims of domestic violence
- Assist with technical assistance calls
- Analyze laws impacting domestic violence victims
- Assist with research on amicus briefs
- Assist WCADV Immigration Attorney with related issues impacting
domestic violence victims
- Assist attorneys doing direct legal representation for domestic
violence victims
This externship does not involve direct client contact. Legal interns in the externship program are supervised by WCADV Staff Attorney, Tess Meuer. WCADV has no funds to provide either a stipend or to pay a 50% employer match via a work study grant.