Reflections on the Nation's First Post J.D. Certificate in Family Law Program
By Michele Hong, CFCC Program Manager
The 16-credit Post-J.D. Certificate in Family Law is the first of its kind in the nation. Developed by an advisory committee of leading family law attorneys and judges in collaboration with University of Baltimore (UB) School of Law faculty, the program is designed and scheduled to meet the needs of working attorneys. The program integrates theory and practice and offers knowledge and skills that lawyers can use immediately in their practice through a hands-on, real-world experiential curriculum.
As the first semester of the nation's first post-J.D. Certificate in Family Law Program winds down, staff from the Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC) have interviewed current students about their experiences. Students have discussed the reasons why they applied to the program, its most compelling aspects, and their expectations.
Students applied to the Post J.D. Certificate in Family Law Program to enhance their marketability.
The primary motivation for students to apply to the program was to improve their marketability in a tight job market.
- A recent UB Law graduate applied to the program "to make myself as marketable as I can in getting a job."
- A current student in the certificate program was motivated by "the demands of the market: what struck me was the statistic that 43% of circuit court cases were family law cases."
The timing of the program was also an important factor for recent law graduates.
- "I feel I'll be more marketable with a family law certificate because those of us who take the bar in February will get the results in May," one current certificate program student pointed out. "So by the time the summer rolls around a lot of us will be looking for jobs."
- Another student who is currently working for a general practitioner was told by her boss that family law can be "emotionally taxing and challenging." She chose the program because "part of me wanted that challenge."
The program was attractive to practicing attorneys who wanted to change their practice focus and specialize in family law.
- One attorney who had practiced for 30 years as a trial attorney had relocated to Baltimore and planned to start or join a family law practice. "I felt that the program would give me the tools I needed in order to become a family court lawyer. I can add the knowledge I get from the certificate program and merge it with my trial experience."
The program has many compelling aspects.
When asked about the factors that influenced their decision to apply to the program, several students referred to the ease of the application process, the fact that the program could be completed in one year, the availability of financial aid, the faculty's practice-oriented approach, and the law school's reputation, particularly in the area of family law.
- "My main goal is that I am transitioning from one aspect of the law to another. One year is a good investment to help me make that transition."
- "Issues that come up when you're establishing or running a firm [are] not really taught in law school when you're getting your JD, so I feel like this program is excellent preparation for that."
- "UB has a great local name, and I felt that I could make contacts while I was in the program."
- "It's definitely practical and provides really great insights based on the experience of the professors who practice family law on a daily basis."
The Post J.D. Certificate in Family Law program exceeds students' expectations.
Students currently enrolled in the program are taking Psychology, Child Development and Mental Health in Family Law Matters and Financial Foundations for Family Lawyers. They give professors for both classes glowing reviews.
- "One thing about both of their teaching styles - they are relatable and personable...They talk about their own personal case experience, which makes the class more practical. We see how to apply the law. That's a big plus."
- "Both professors are engaged in the practice of family law but have different perspectives. One professor's practice is more involved with custody issues, including high conflict cases, and the other focuses on complex financial matters. We're exposed to completely different aspects of family law, both of which we need for our own practice."
Students also praised the usefulness of the curriculum.
- "I am finding that both professors provide very practical information. We go over forms that are used all the time in court. We get the benefit of the professors' experience in real time. They discuss the current changes in the law, and we then apply them to hypotheticals that require us to complete all the forms necessary to practice in this area. There's an immediate transition to practice."
- "I cannot tell you how engaging it is. The classes are three hours long, and it feels like they go by in half an hour. The advice is very practical, very hands-on, and definitely more advanced than what you get in the JD program."
- "It's just incredibly informative because they're [teaching us] what they know about how to be a lawyer generally, and specifically specializing in family law. It met and went beyond my expectations."
- "I feel I got a lot of practical advice on how to handle a divorce... [I]f I had a client come in, I would know exactly what to ask about."
- "I have everything ready to go for my law firm."
Finally, students were enthusiastic about an unanticipated perk of the program - - the material has been useful as they prepare for the bar exam.
- "It's helping me study for the bar. I never took family law, so ... that's a big perk."
- "[The class] is helping me study evidence and prepare for the bar because we come across evidentiary issues in almost every class."
Final thoughts
Students were overwhelmingly positive about the Post-J.D. Certificate in Family Law Program. They particularly liked the small classes and non-traditional approach that offers real-world guidance and insights regarding the practice of family law. One student summed it up as follows: "Students and professors are very close-knit and congenial. The relationships with professors and students are very different from what they were as a J.D. student. It's not competitive and everyone is conscious of the fact that we are all lawyers. You do not have that sense of a sharp divide between faculty and students that you experience in law school. If you want to advance rapidly in the area of family law, this is a great way to do it."
Applications are currently being accepted for the spring 2018 semester. The courses for the spring semester are: The Craft of Problem-Solving and Advocacy in Family Law Cases and Understanding the Business of Practicing Family Law. Students can start the certificate program in the spring semester.
