In this year long experience, students will be given the challenging opportunity to prosecute domestic violence crimes in Rennselaer County. Students will also assist as student prosecutors in the new Domestic Violence Court. Students will spend the first three to four weeks of the Fall Semester learning about essential substantive and procedural law, prosecutorial ethics and the dynamics of domestic violence. During that time, students will also examine and learn about a variety of lawyering skills and will engage in a number of simulated exercises in which they will, among other things, fashion appropriate charges, interview victims, interview police officers, negotiate pleas and conduct a hearing or trial. They will also engage in some court observation.
Students receive three credits per semester.
Preference will be given to third year students. The Domestic Violence Law Seminar is a prerequisite or corequisite. Waiver of the seminar requirement will be made in exceptional circumstances. 2 Credits Explores in depth the legal issues and discrete phenomena of domestic violence. Topics generally include intimate partner violence, criminal prosecution of batters, child abuse and neglect, gay and lesbian battering, elder abuse, and the basis for intervention of the state.