GO TO THE HEART OF PRACTICE AT AKRON LAW
Family Law
Family law is a hot practice area because the modern variety of family relationships presents new and challenging questions for the law. The field offers sustained employment opportunities because people always need help with the family issues of daily life. Whether you work for a small firm, solo practice, legal aid organization, governmental agency or court, family law offers a variety of contexts for practice. Family lawyers handle disputes about parental rights, child support, divorce, marriage recognition, grandparents’ rights, adoption, juvenile issues, and domestic violence. They work as advocates, prosecutors, guardians ad litem, mediators, magistrates, and judges.
Distinguish yourself at Akron Law through our specialized training and experience opportunities. In addition to our many course offerings, externships give you practical training in domestic relations courts, juvenile courts, legal aid organizations, family and children services agencies, and the prosecutor’s child support enforcement agency. Akron Law’s longstanding affiliation with the local bar association offers an organized mentoring program and opportunity for students to network with practicing attorneys from their first year. Opportunities to work as upper-classmen with local practitioners and judges give you that apprenticeship experience to help you go from the classroom to the courtroom. In fact, as part of our new Domestic Relations Clinic, you can appear in Portage County court, argue at hearings, prepare legal briefs, and advise clients under the supervision and guidance of an experienced practitioner.
Family law experts
Tracy Thomas, John F. Seiberling Chair of Constitutional Law and Director, Constitutional Law Center│ Bio
Professor Thomas practiced family law at Neighborhood Legal Services in Washington, D.C. representing clients in divorce, domestic violence, and custody disputes. Her research in the field ranges from work on the complexities of valuing employee stock options at divorce to understanding the legal history of the divorce laws. She has presented to judges on topics of custody jurisdiction, same-sex partnerships, and assisted reproduction. Professor Thomas serves on community committees related to the practice of family law including the Family Law Interdisciplinary Council and a sub-group of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
Judge Paula C. Giulitto | Bio
Judge Giulitto is the sitting Judge for the Portage County Domestic Relations Court. She received her undergraduate degree from Miami University and her J.D. from the University of Akron School of Law. Before joining the court, Giulitto practiced law at her firm Giulitto Law Office LLC, specializing in family, estate, and probate law.
Timothy Thomas, Attorney at McClelland & Thomas | Bio
Adjunct Professor Thomas teaches the Domestic Relations Court Clinic. He brings his years of experience and skills as a counselor of law to supervising students in the DR Court Clinic. Students handle cases in the Portage County Domestic Relations Court under his direction.
Family law courses
Akron Law provides varied course work that explores all angles of family law practice, from the study of families to financial and property matters to the necessary litigation and negotiation skills. Certificates available in litigation and divorce mediation help you distinguish your training even further, offering credentials of interest to both employers and clients.
- Family Law
- Juvenile Law
- Elder Law
- Externship
- Divorce Mediation
- Accounting for Lawyers
- Pretrial Advocacy
- Trial Advocacy
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Bankruptcy
- Conflicts of Law
- Individual Taxation
- Domestic Relations Practicum
Affiliated courses in other University departments:
- Divorce Mediation Practicum
- Marriage and Family Therapy
- Family Violence
- Family Dynamics
- Career Counseling
- Systems Theory in Family Therapy
- Family Crisis
- Family and Divorce
- Family in Life-Span Perspective
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PROFILE: MARISA LOWRY
EXPERIENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES: LEARNING & LOVING THE PRACTICE OF LAW
"The life of a family law attorney can sometimes be hectic," says Marisa Lowry.
Lowry
"You may have six hearings a day in multiple counties," she adds. "The University of Akron School of Law prepared me for the challenges of a practicing trial attorney. The professors teach more than subject matter—they teach how to contemplate and analyze, a skill that is important both in practice and everyday life. There are many opportunities through Akron Law’s clinical programs and competition teams for students to get real-life experience in the courtroom.
"My experience at Akron Law shaped me into the person and attorney I am today and helped me reach my dream of being a family law attorney."
About Marisa
She graduated with honors with a degree in Family Studies and a minor in Psychology and Sociology with a focus on children and families. She graduated from The University of Akron School of Law where she focused her studies on business and family law, and earned an award for excellence in Elder Law.
During law school, she interned at Summit County Court Family Services where she focused specifically on children of divorce. Marisa Lowry is an attorney at Randall A. Lowry & Associates where she practices family law.