SMU Law Review
Abstract
This article explores the unique opportunities arising from child welfare law practice in clinical legal education. While training law students for lawyering in all practice areas, the clinic can also inspire experienced child welfare practitioners to raise the level of their practice. The article provides an overview of the child welfare practice in Texas, the various roles of lawyers in the system, the special training required for these lawyers, and how the lawyers are employed and paid. The article proposes that the clear impact of child welfare legal practice on clients, combined with its interdisciplinary complexity, creates an ideal combination for motivating law students to zealous representation while teaching them how to apply real facts to a wide variety of law and policy in a culturally competent framework. Because SMU’s clinic students are eager learners experiencing lawyering firsthand, without bearing the burden of the “billable hour,” they can explore issues and model best practices in the Dallas community. The Child Advocacy Clinic’s work representing children and former foster youth stands as a proving ground for current issues and best practices. In turn, SMU Dedman Law can turn the lessons learned in the robust clinic practice to provide essential training to the child welfare community at large. The article also relies on, and was greatly inspired by, clinic students’ words in describing the lawyering experiences they gained through the clinic.
Recommended Citation
Diane M. Sumoski,
Raising the Bar in Child Welfare Law,
77
SMU L. Rev.
635
(2024)
