Skip to Content

Joseph F. Rice School of Law

  • Susan Kuo teaching class

Children's Law

Children’s law is an area of law that focuses on children and families. Children’s law includes child protection and advocacy, education law, juvenile justice, family law, and children’s legal rights.   

Attorneys who practice children’s law may pursue a career with the Department of Social Services to work on cases involving allegations of child abuse and neglect. Another career opportunity includes working in the criminal justice system by prosecuting or defending children who have been accused of delinquent offenses. Alternatively, attorneys may prosecute cases where the victim is a minor, including criminal sexual conduct and internet crime against children.  

Children’s law attorneys may focus their work on education law, which can involve any legal matter focused on the rights of students, teachers, and schools. For example, attorneys could represent a school district or assist children with disabilities and their families get access to special education services and support. 

Attorneys who practice family law also deal with many issues involving children, including divorce, custody disputes, child visitation, and child support modifications.  These attorneys work closely with families to negotiate custody settlements and child visitation schedules.     

Finally, some children’s law attorneys work for nonprofits or advocacy groups focused on children’s legal issues.   

We offer a wide range of relevant courses. Not every course is offered regularly, and to be a well-rounded lawyer you should take many other courses as well.    

Courses foundational to the topic 

  • Advanced Family Law 
  • Children and the Courts 
  • Family Law  
  • Parents, Children & the State 

Courses focused on the topic 

  • Children’s Law Externship 
  • Education Law & Policy
  • Education Rights Clinic
  • Juvenile Justice
  • Youth Defender Clinic 

Courses aware of the topic 

  • Carolina Health Advocacy Medicolegal Partnership Clinic (CHAMPS) 
  • Domestic Violence Clinic 
  • Gender-Based Violence Seminar  
  • Poverty Law & Policy 
  • Reproductive Rights and Justice Seminar

The Children’s Law Concentration allows students enrolled in the J.D. program the ability to focus on this area of law. Students receive informal advisement and mentoring from the experienced group of law faculty who teach in these areas. Students in the program receive exposure to speakers and seminars focused in this area. The program also provides career counseling and information on prospective employers throughout the United States. 

We also offer combination degree programs with Social Work and Criminology/Criminal Justice, among others. 

Children's Law Clinics: The University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law offers four clinics in the arena of children’s law, including: Carolina Health Advocacy Medicolegal Partnership Clinic (CHAMPS), Domestic Violence Clinic, Education Rights Clinic, and Youth Defender Clinic.  All clinical work is supervised by an experienced clinical faculty member and attorney. 

Children's Law Externship: In a children’s law externship, students earn academic credit while gaining professional experience by working under the supervision of an attorney and participating in a course taught by instructors who have experience in children’s law. Students will learn through hands-on experiences and observation by working at a field placement.  Students will experience the legal process firsthand by observing the supervising attorney as he or she represents clients and attend meetings, hearings, trials, and other legal proceedings.  Students will assist the supervising attorney by drafting memoranda, legal motions, proposed orders, and providing legal research relevant to each case.  

Children's Law Center:  Established in 1995, the Children’s Law Center at the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law is dedicated to improving outcomes for the state’s most vulnerable children and promoting sound policy and best practices in the field of children’s law. The Center provides extensive training and coordinates meetings for more than 10,000 professionals annually, including attorneys, judges, child welfare staff, Guardians ad litem, juvenile justice professionals, law enforcement officers, educators, and other child-serving professionals. 

Relevant student organizations include: 

  • Children’s Advocacy Law Society 
  • Family Law Society 

These (and other) faculty and staff may be available to advise you, supervise your own legal research ("SLR"), or hire you as a research assistant. Learn about them through their biographies, and then consider reaching out. 

 

Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.

©