Family Relations and Wills and Trusts

Family law considers the various aspects of familial and intimate relations. The law of "the family" includes consideration of state efforts and authority to regulate its creation, maintenance, and dissolution. Issues that often arise include marriage (and its contested boundaries), privacy, marital obligations, annulment, dissolution, divorce, child custody, and spousal and child support. Modern family law has actively considered issues raised by same-sex and opposite-sex cohabiting couples and families. recently, a considerable effort has been made to "constitutionalize" family law, leading to various public policy considerations.

Family law draws upon and implicates many areas of law including property law, criminal law, and constitutional law. With respect to the planning and disposition of family resources, Wills and Trusts and estate Planning and Drafting are relevant courses.

The Moritz College of Law is the only top-tier law school in the country to offer a specialized certificate in children's studies. To obtain the certificate, law students must complete 20 hours of specialized course work. Students are required to take an additional five semester hours in graduate-level courses offered at The Ohio State University. The University has particularly rich offerings in related areas, providing students with a critical interdisciplinary understanding of the many problems faced by children and their families. Students successfully completing the certificate will receive a notation on their law school transcripts and special recognition at graduation.

The Justice for Children Clinic provides direct legal representation of children and their interests. The clinic has filed a number of constitutional challenges on behalf of children. Such cases have challenged curfew ordinances as an unconstitutional infringement on the liberties of children and an unconstitutional usurpation of state authority by a municipality. Additionally, the clinic has argued cases regarding a child's right to free speech or right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures.

Course Sampling for Family Relations and Wills and Trusts

• Adoption Law
• Advanced Family Law
• Children and the Law
• estate Planning and Drafting
• Family Law
• Justice for Children Clinic
• Sexual Orientation and the Law
• Sexual violence Seminar
• Wills and Trusts