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Moritz College of Law to Offer Certificate in Children Studies

Certificate program is the only one of its kind among the nation's top 50 law schools

August 21, 2003

 

A new certificate in Children Studies has been approved by The Ohio State University and will be offered at the Michael E. Moritz College of Law.

Students in the law school’s graduating class of 2004 are the first to be eligible for the certificate. Those who successfully meet the requirements will be recognized at graduation and will receive a notation on their law school transcripts.

Professor Katherine Hunt Federle said the certificate program is the only one of its kind among the nation’s top 50 law schools.

Federle, director of the Moritz College of Law’s Justice For Children Project, noted the importance of exposing law students to children’s legal issues. She said the certificate program’s specialized coursework will provide law students “with opportunities to represent children, and will encourage law graduates to specialize in the representation of low-income and minority children and their families.” It also will promote “holistic” child representation, an approach supported by the American Bar Association, she added. The certificate itself will provide “some distinct advantages to law students in terms of immersion in a specialty, résumé enhancement and possible advantages in job placement,” Federle said.

To obtain a certificate, students must complete the basic requirements for a J.D. degree and 20 hours of specialized course work, including 10 hours in three core Children Studies courses. Those courses are: Children and the Law, Family Law and the Justice for Children Practicum. The practicum provides third-year students with opportunities to work with real clients at all stages of the legal process.

The remaining 10 hours must include five hours in related coursework at the Moritz College and five hours in other graduate-level courses offered at The Ohio State University.

The Moritz College of Law currently offers two other certificate programs in International Trade and Development and in Dispute Resolution. To obtain an International Trade and Development certificate, students must complete 30 hours of specialized course work, including 15 hours of study in other university departments. The Dispute Resolution certificate requires 15 hours of specialized coursework and completion of an externship in the field of dispute resolution.

Since 1891, the Moritz College of Law has played a leading role in the legal profession through countless contributions made by alumni and faculty. Graduates of the school reside in all 50 states and 20 other countries and include justices of the Ohio Supreme Court, current and former U.S. Senators and Representatives, managing partners in law firms of all sizes, chief executive officers of Fortune 500 corporations, and attorneys with non-profit organizations and public interest law firms.

The Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University is Ohio’s flagship law school. Approximately 650 students attend classes at the school’s John Deaver Drinko Hall, located at 55 West 12th Avenue, Columbus.

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