King Hall Family Protection Clinic Students Support Domestic Violence Law Reform Effort

Students participating in the UC Davis School of Law Family Protection and Legal Assistance Clinic recently submitted written comments to the Commission on the Future of California's Court System on the importance of creating a verbatim record in all domestic violence restraining order and family law cases. 

Civil litigants in many California counties, including Yolo and Sacramento, only have access to verbatim court records when they hire a court reporter to record and transcribe legal proceedings, at a pre-paid rate of $150-$300 per day. California law generally requires parties to provide a written transcript with their appeal, so the lack of access to a verbatim record effectively prevents indigent parties from appealing their cases. 

The student comments discuss the disconnection between their legal studies and the realities of how the court system interacts with indigent clients. They shared their experiences representing domestic violence clients and observations of pro se litigants in family court. They also explained how high the stakes are for victims of domestic violence seeking safety and the importance of access to a complete court record.   

In addition to reviewing the submitted written comments, the Commission on the Future of California's Court System scheduled a public comment session on February 8, 2016. The Family Protection and Legal Assistance Clinic has signed on to the testimony the Family Violence Appellate Project will provide regarding this access to justice issue and its impact on victims of domestic violence.

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