Child and Family Advocacy Fellowship Program

Faculty and staff of the Center for Children, Families and the Law (CCFL) provide Child and Family Advocacy Fellows with mentoring and professional development opportunities throughout their three years at Hofstra Law.

Fellows are invited to attend various program events, participate in public service projects of the CCFL and meet regularly with staff, faculty, alumni and other fellows.

Fellows are able to select from several experiential opportunities in family law offered at Hofstra Law, including the Youth Advocacy Clinic, the Family Law Practicum, and the 17-A Guardianship Demonstration Project.

Students can also select from a wide range of family law courses, including Modern Divorce Advocacy, Child Abuse and Neglect, Domestic Violence, and International Family Law.

As part of the program, fellows are required to complete two 10-week summer internships after their first and second years.

Internships enable students to integrate the practical experience of full-time work with their formal legal training, and fellows have had the opportunity to work with judges, legal service organizations and district attorneys’ offices.

Program staff work together with each fellow to find an internship that will further the student′s professional goals.

Many fellows apply for staff positions on the Family Court Review after their first year and have the opportunity to publish their work in the journal.

For further information about the Child and Family Advocacy Fellowship program, please contact Amy Brown.

Each year, the Maurice A. Deane School of Law selects up to five fellows from among students admitted to the entering J.D. class. Fellowships are awarded to students who intend to pursue careers in child and family advocacy.

Fellows are eligible for up to two $7,500 summer stipends to cover living expenses while completing a qualifying internship.

After graduation, fellows are expected to use their specialized training to represent the legal interests of children and families.

Fellows are selected on the basis of academic ability, leadership potential, experience in the field and, most importantly, a demonstrated commitment to using their legal training to promote the welfare of children and families.

Finalists may be invited to the Maurice A. Deane School of Law to interview with the fellowship selection committee, consisting of Hofstra Law faculty and alumni, family law practitioners, and mental health professionals.

The academic achievement and aptitude of each applicant are considered carefully by the selection committee, and an affirmative attempt is made to ensure the diversity of each entering class of fellows.

The fellowship selection committee cannot consider a fellowship application until the applicant has been accepted to the Maurice A. Deane Law School. Therefore, it is important that applicants complete their JD applications early.

A completed application must include a résumé, two letters of recommendation and a personal statement describing the applicant’s experience and commitment to improving the welfare of families and children involved with the legal system. The application and further instructions can be found on the Admitted Student Portal.

For more information, please contact Amy Brown.

Each summer first- and second-year fellows complete internships in child advocacy and family law. Program staff work together with each fellow to find an internship that will further the student’s professional goals.

Fellows are eligible for a $7,500 stipend to support their work at approved placements.

Recent placements have included:

• Bronx County Family Court, Bronx, N.Y.
• The Center for Family Representation, New York, N.Y.
• The Children’s Law Center, New York, N.Y.
• Children’s Rights, New York, N.Y.
• Department of Justice, Division of Child Obscenity & Exploitation, Washington, D.C.
• Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, Cambridge, M.A.
• Her Justice, New York, N.Y.
• Lawyers for Children, New York, N.Y.
• The Legal Aid Society, Juvenile Rights Practice, New York, N.Y.
• Mental Hygiene Legal Service, Second Judicial Department, Mineola, N.Y.
• Nassau County Attorney’s Office, Family Court Bureau, Westbury, N.Y.
• Nassau County Department of Social Services, Mineola, N.Y.
• Nassau County Family Court, Westbury, N.Y.
• New Jersey Office of the Law Guardian, Asbury Park, N.J.
• New York City Administration for Children’s Services, New York, N.Y.
• New York City Law Department, Family Court Division, New York, N.Y.
• New York Legal Assistance Group, Matrimonial and Family Law Unit, New York, N.Y.
• Queens District Attorney, Domestic Violence & Special Victims Bureaus, Jamaica, N.Y.
• Queens Integrated Domestic Violence Court, Jamaica, N.Y.
• The Safe Center, Bethpage, N.Y.
• Urban Justice Center, New York, N.Y.