CASA Expands Legal Wing with Stetson University Partnership

We’re proud to announce an exciting new partnership with Stetson University College of Law that marks a major milestone in the development of CASA’s Victims’ Rights Law Center. For the first time ever, Stetson law students will be placed directly at CASA Legal, strengthening our ability to deliver high-quality, survivor-centered legal services to our community.

This spring semester, we will welcome eight Stetson law students to our firm.

Five students will serve as externs completing their field placements in CASA’s Victims’ Rights Externship, working side by side with our legal team. The externs will have the opportunity to work directly with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, child abuse, child sexual abuse, elder abuse, and human trafficking who are navigating a range of legal challenges. They will gain hands-on experience providing trauma-informed, client-centered, and empowerment-based assistance under the supervision of experienced attorneys and advocates on a variety of legal matters including with our Injunction For Protection (IFP) Project, and on family law, housing, victims’ rights enforcement, consumer protection, and other intersecting areas of law that impact survivors’ safety and stability. This placement allows students to develop practical lawyering skills while deepening their understanding of the complex legal and social issues affecting victims of violence.

An additional three students will collaborate on a groundbreaking project with Office of the State Courts Administrator (OSCA) to draft the first-ever Florida Judicial Benchbook on Human Trafficking — an important tool to support trauma-informed justice statewide. CASA has contracted with OSCA to create a comprehensive Florida Judicial Benchbook on Human Trafficking as an easy-to-use resource tool for the judiciary and members of the Bar, addressing the major legal topics in human trafficking that the judiciary encounter in practice.

All students will work under the supervision of our Chief Justice Officer, Noëlle Polk Clark, Esq.

These innovative partnerships represent an incredible expansion for CASA, increasing our legal capacity, deepening our impact, and creating a powerful learning opportunity for future attorneys committed to victims’ rights. Together with Stetson Law, we are building a stronger, more responsive legal system for survivors than ever before.

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