Northeastern University School of Law Project

Interdisciplinary Model

The Northeastern Economic Development and Domestic Violence models, the interdisciplinary models, were structured so as to examine how solo and small-firm lawyers can sustain economically viable practices which promote community economic development and prevent family violence by working with non-legal community organizations and other institutions.  Northeastern Law School was well situated to create these interdisciplinary, specialized models in light of the fact that there were two interdisciplinary institutes already in existence at that institution – the Domestic Violence Institute and the Urban Law & Public Policy Institute.    

Domestic Violence Model

The Northeastern University School of Law Domestic Violence (DV) Model was designed as a collaborative effort between the Northeastern Domestic Violence Institute (DV Institute) and the Women’s Bar Association to create a resource and support network for family law attorneys doing domestic violence work.  This work fills the ever-growing need for specialized services to low and moderate-income domestic violence survivors.  The primary goal of this project was education - training practitioners to take on domestic violence cases and thereby lessening the burden on the few practitioners currently handing those cases.

The DV Institute and the Women's Bar Association created an Advisory Board for the project that consisted of members of both organizations as well as domestic violence family law specialists from legal services organizations and from solo and small-firm practices.

The DV model was organized differently than the other models as it directly involves students as well as practitioners.  Rather than being designed as an ongoing network of attorneys, it was designed as an actual law school seminar, offered for academic credit to six students each semester.  The seminar met once a week for three hours for ten weeks.  Participating students were upper level students with some domestic violence experience.  The Project Director taught this seminar in conjunction with three senior domestic violence practitioners.  Also included in the seminar were six junior practitioners who, although experienced in the family law area, had little or no experience with domestic violence cases.  These practitioners were offered the seminar free in return for their willingness to take on a domestic violence case on a pro bono basis through the Women’s Bar Association Domestic Violence Family Law Pro Bono Panel.   The senior practitioner faculty members served as mentors to the junior practitioners.  In addition, these faculty members served as clinical placement supervisors to three of the participating students.  These students were required to spend 16 hours each week working at their supervisor’s law office.  And, at the end of the semester, these students were then required to spend their 11-week coop semester placed in that practitioner’s firm working a 40-hour week, paid for by Northeastern.

The course was designed to provide participants with an opportunity to network with practitioners with similar interests, share practice tips, and develop strategies for handling challenging issues.  It was also developed with the goal that participants would learn how to engage in collaborative lawyering.  In total, the seminar included 26 students, 22 junior practitioners, and 10 senior practitioners who served as faculty/mentors.  

Seminar participants were required to commit to: (1) one Women’s Bar Association Family Law Pro Bono Panel case from beginning to end; (2) regularly attend and participate in the seminar (which included reading, as well as written and oral assignments); (3) building a private practice that would serve domestic violence victims for affordable fees; and (4) maintaining an email account and having a willingness to use technological resources offered. 

The Northeastern DV model was successful in meeting its objectives.  An intensive and valuable seminar was developed that led to the creation of a high quality domestic violence practice curriculum, which helps practitioners understand the complexities presented by domestic violence cases and provides them with a working knowledge of legal and non-legal community resources in this area.  Although project staff found it challenging to attempt, simultaneously, to reach the three different audiences with which they were working – the senior practitioners, the junior practitioners, and the students – they were able to provide valuable service to each.  In addition to educating the junior practitioners and law students, the seminar increased the knowledge of the senior practitioners who served as faculty-mentors as well.  The curriculum developed by the project can serve as a standard of practice that should be incorporated into any effort to involve new attorneys in domestic violence work.  The efforts of the project have led to a stronger sense of community among practitioners who currently work in the domestic violence area.

Services and Resources Provided: Practitioners who participated in the seminar received the following in the way of services and resources:

• substantive law training;
• mentoring;
• intern assistance;   
•  web-based resources and communication; 
• a mental health seminar;[1] 
• resource materials;[2] 
• technology assistance and training; and
• business management training.

Economic Development Model

The Northeastern University School of Law Economic Development (ED) Model created a network of solo and small-firm practitioners working in the economic development area.  The ED network provides its members with resources, support, knowledge about the community, and transactional law skills necessary to undertake economic development activities.

The ED network finds ways to link small businesses and nonprofit organizations with lawyers in the network.  Many small businesses only contact a lawyer at a moment of crisis, not earlier when legal advice might have saved some future headaches.  By helping these small businesses obtain legal assistance, members strive to help them succeed, grow, and thereby create jobs in their communities. 

The ED network defined its target client community geographically, (limiting activity to the Boston area and one or two adjacent communities), ethnically, and by income, targeting those communities that are traditionally underserved.  It focused on attorneys of color and women in its recruitment efforts because these practitioners were the ones serving or practicing within the targeted client communities.  Twelve participants were selected so as to achieve an appropriate mix of practice areas, experience, client base, and geographic location.[3]  The specialty areas in which network members practice include: real estate and affordable housing development law.  Network meetings are scheduled approximately twice a month.  

Services and Resources Provided: Before commencing, project staff conducted focus groups with practitioners to determine the primary areas in which support was most needed.  Based on this, it was decided to provide the following services and resources:

• networking and peer technical assistance;
• continuing legal education seminars and materials;
• marketing and law practice management workshops:    
• technology assistance and training;
• access to a small business database;[4]
• assistance in developing relationships and connections;[5] 
• access to a secure-access interactive web site; 
• information about nonprofit and small business legal audits;[6]   
• library access;    
• technology assistance and training; and      
• assistance with client development.[7]

The ED network's members work to help small businesses and nonprofit organizations succeed in order to economically strengthen communities in which these organizations operate.  Network members feel that their connection to the network and the Law School empowers them to take action that, in the absence of the network's support and resources, they would not otherwise be able to take.