The seminar is a non-traditional 2-credit-hour course which examines both the state of family violence in America and the cross disciplinary issues in effective intervention. All seminar classes are completed in the first 3 weeks of school and requirements include a substantial writing assignment which students must submit for publication, a community presentation, and observations in adult abuse courts and in women's shelters.

Students publish roughly 12% of their seminar papers. Students make presentations on domestic violence, its prevention, responses, and intervention to community groups, elementary and high schools, college groups, prisons and community centers. Students occasionally elect special projects such as preparing clemency petitions for abuse victims serving prison sentences for killing their abusers, participating in legislative committees and testifying on domestic violence issues, and drafting legislation.

The Department of Justice currently funds the Law School to conduct an interdisciplinary teaching project such that Dr. Nancy Bumby, a faculty member from the UMC School of Medicine Dept. of Psychiatry and Neurology, co-teaches the Family Violence and the Law Seminar with Professor Beck.

The Clinic is a 3-credit-hour course open only to second and third year Rule 13 certified law students. Students represent petitioners for orders of adult and child protection in civil courts under RSMO 455 (the Adult Abuse Statute), and represent abused children or abused mothers in protective custody cases in juvenile courts.

Circuit clerks, police stations, and women's shelters refer abused women to the Clinic. When a referral is received, a team of students is assigned to conduct an interview of the victim and serve as counsel in the litigation. The Clinic Director personally supervises the students in preparing for the hearing, consulting with opposing counsel, settlement negotiation, and courtroom representation.

The Clinic Director holds weekly case conferences which include all enrolled law students and one or two interprofessional graduate students. These conferences use the law students' real case experiences as the focus of instruction.

Student representation is only available to women who are at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. The clinic handles roughly 85 referrals for civil orders of protection per year and students obtain remedies desired by their clients in over 90% of their cases. Since inception, the Clinic has expanded its representation from 5 to 20 rural Missouri counties and to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, and to the Missouri Supreme Court.

Law students enrolled in Family Violence Clinic must complete the Family Violence and the Law Seminar before or during their clinical experience.

In the summer of 1997, the School offered its first specialized domestic violence externships with prosecuting attorneys and legal aid offices around the state. These externships were initially funded by the STOP Violence Against Women Grant and are now routinely available to students.

The Philip Morris Corporate Contributions Doors of Hope Program has funded the University of Missouri Law School to develop a 9 to 12 month Family Violence Teaching Fellowship in its Family Violence Clinic and Seminar. Under supervision of the Clinic Director, the fellow assumes teaching responsibilities for classroom lecturing, curriculum enhancement, directing student writing projects and community presentations, supervising students preparing for and conducting litigation and settlement conferences, and directing weekly case conferences.

The fellow also assists with administrative responsibilities for the law school clinic; for federal, state, and private grants; for liaisons with the state legislature; and for personnel. Fellows have at least 2 years experience as practicing lawyers, a valid license to practice law and eligibility for a Missouri license to practice law, strong written and demonstrated oral communication skills, commitment to public interest law, the ability to work collaboratively and independently, and experience in family and domestic violence law. The benefits eligible position pays $ 25,000 for 2 semesters. The possibility to teach summer school also exists with an additional stipend of up to $8,500.

The clinic has been operating since 1992. It received three year seed funding form the U.S. Department of Education Title IX Program and was approved to receive additional Title IX funding before Congress rescinded its previously appropriated moneys.

The clinic is now funded by the University and has received funding for special projects and rural representation from federal, state, and private sources. The Clinic has repeatedly received grant funding from the Missouri Department of Public Safety Stop Violence Against Women Program, the Missouri Department of Public Safety Victims of Crime Act Grant, the U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Legal Assistance Program, and the Philip Morris Corporate Contributions Doors of Hope Program.

The Missouri Department of Public Safety has funded the original development of this online judicial tutorial, as well as travel, long distance phone charges, cell phones, and litigation expenses for representation of clinic clients in rural areas. The Department of Justice is funding the interdisciplinary teaching project between the UMC Schools of Law and Medicine in the Family Violence Program. The Philip Morris Corporate Contributions Program has funded the annual Family Violence Teaching Fellowship