To earn this Concentration, students must:

• complete 6 courses, 6 credits of experiential learning, and an economics course as outlined in the requirements listed below
• earn a 3.5 grade point average in the required courses to receive Honors in the Concentration

I. Core courses:

Choose 2 of the following options.

• Family Law: Marriage & Divorce (822)
• Family Law: Parent & Child (823)
• Civil Procedure (714)

Students may satisfy the Law 822 course requirement by participating in either of the family law clinics, i.e., the Remington center's Family Law Project (a prison-based clinical program) or the Economic Justice Institute's Family Court Clinic.

II. Complete 2 courses from the following:

• Remaining course from section I
• Marital Property Law (737)
• Adoption Law and Policy (937)
• Domestic Violence Law (938)
• other Selected Problems in Family Law (939) course approved by advisor
• Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice (940)

III. Complete 6 credits of experiential learning from the following:

• Family Court Clinic (854 - Economic Justice Institute)
• Negotiations and Mediation (743)
• Pre-Trial Advocacy (849)
• Lawyering Skills (950 - 1 to 6 credits; Spring semester with Prof. Poe-Gavlinski)
• Trial Advocacy (852)
• Restraining Order and Survivor Advocacy Clinic (854 - Economic Justice Institute) 
• Family Legal Advocacy and Supports Clinic (854 - Economic Justice Institute) 
• Externship at family law-related organization  (with prior approval from the faculty advisor)  

IV. Complete 1 course from the following:

Family lawyers should have an understanding of broader issues involved in family law, so a working knowledge of tax, estate planning, and/or business law is especially useful.

• Taxation I (742)
• Trusts and Estates (734)
• Real Estate Transactions I (732)
• Intro to Estate Planning (957)

V. Complete 2 additional elective courses from the following:

• Any remaining course(s) from sections II and III
• Evidence (801)
• Juvenile Justice Administration (940) 
• LGBTQ+ Law (940)
• Carceral Intersctions (915)
• Immigration Law (873)
• Directed Reading/Directed Research (with prior approval from the faculty advisor)

Additional Information

Please note: there is no formal Concentration declaration process. Graduating students will be asked to complete a survey confirming they have met the requirements, and their coursework will be reviewed by the Concentration advisor. It is highly recommended that students meet with the advisor before graduation.

For more information or questions about the Family Law Concentration, contact Professor Tonya Brito: tlbrito@wisc.edu.