Maurer-IUBA new partnership between the IU School of Social Work and Maurer School of Law Family & Mediation Clinic in Bloomington will allow first-year Master of Social Work (MSW) students to gain hands-on mediation experience in family law cases.

The clinic, which provides mediation services to low-income families, assigns students to cases referred by judges in local and nearby counties. Students in the clinic work in teams of two to mediate custody, parenting time, child support, asset and debt division, and other disputes in family law cases.

Serretta Gordon, MSSW, clinical assistant professor of field instruction for the MSW program at IU Bloomington, said the partnership with the Family & Mediation Clinic will help social work students to develop legal skills while advocating for social justice in the courtroom.

In social work, our Code of Ethics focus on social justice,” Gordon said. “It’s important for the social work perspective to be present at the table and to advocate for what will be in the best interest of families and children.”

The practicum project was created as a pilot in spring 2019 and will continue in spring 2021 for first-year MSW field students. It consists of a combined seven-credit course and clinical experience that involves preparation and mediation of five cases over the course of the semester. Students who complete the program are fully trained and registered domestic relations mediators in Indiana.

To learn more about the mediation program, visit the Maurer School of Law or email Clinic Director Amy Applegate at aga@indiana.edu.