• How can we help you?
• Site map

• Prospective Students
• Our Community
• Outreach
• Alumni

Family and Children Mediation Clinic

The Family and Children Mediation Clinic is offered to second- and third-year law students. The clinic offers hands-on mediation experience in a combined six-credit course and clinical experience in which students mediate real-life disputes involving families with children, such as custody, parenting time, child support, and related disputes between parents in family law cases.

What is the Family and Children Mediation Clinic?

As trained mediators, the students are able to assist many low-income families and provide meaningful help in reducing court dockets. The mediation process offers a positive, respectful, collaborative course of action designed to reduce family conflict and help return decision-making about children to their parents. Although mediators are neutral and do not represent anyone, including the children's best interests, mediators have an ethical obligation to assist the parents in focusing on their children's best interests.

What will I learn?

After working with this clinic, students possess a valuable and marketable legal skill. They will be fully trained and registered domestic relations mediators in Indiana, with experience mediating up to 12 real-life cases over the course of the semester. Most cases involve custody, parenting time, child support, and related disputes between families or guardians. There may also be an opportunity for students to facilitate in child abuse and neglect cases.

How the training works:

During the first three weeks of the semester, students meet each morning to complete the three-credit-hour skills-based course in family law mediation taught by Professor Applegate, with the assistance of communications and mental health professionals, and experienced local mediators. Through this course, students become registered domestic relations mediators in the state of Indiana.

Mediation training includes guidance from Professor Applegate, as well as a communications expert, a mental health expert, the local Family Court Coordinator, and other experienced local mediators. Although it is not required that students be supervised, once the they are registered, they will have the additional benefit of supervision by Professor Applegate or another experienced mediator.

What is the time commitment?

Following the mandatory three-week skills course, students will observe and then mediate cases. Each week students attend two hours of class (one morning each week), and additionally devote one full day or two half-days to prepare for, conduct, and finalize real life mediations involving indigent or low-income families with children in Monroe or Owen Counties. Students should expect to mediate one case each week. Students also keep a journal of their mediation experiences and meet regularly with Professor Applegate to prepare for and discuss their mediation experiences.

Clinical Faculty:

Amy G. Applegate, Clinical Associate Professor of Law and Director

I want to be a part of this...

Here's what you need to know about participating in the Family and Children Mediation Clinic (B691 and B563):

• Enrollment is limited to 8 students each semester.

• The course is open to second- and third-year students.

• You must participate in all six credit hours and be available for mandatory attendance every morning during the first three weeks of the semester.

• There is an opportunity for some students to continue on with the clinic (after the combined course and clinic), mediating additional cases and serving as student mentors for the clinic students.

• Interested students must contact Professor Amy G. Applegate prior to course registration to obtain approval to enroll.