Family & Domestic Relations Law
Revised June 2026
Books, Guides, and Directories
39th Annual Family Law Seminar: Perspectives, Perspectives.... Charlottesville, Va: Virginia Law Foundation, 2020. KFV2494 .A75 F3 2020
101+ Practical Solutions for the Family Lawyer: Sensible Answers to Common Problems, 4th ed., Gregg M. Herman, ed. Chicago, Ill: ABA, 2019. KF505 A2 A15 2019
How to Build and Manage a Family Law Practice, 2d ed., Mark A. Chinn, Chicago, Ill: American Bar Association, Section of Law Practice Management, 2018. KF300 .C455 2018
Databases and Websites
Westlaw: West's Legal Directory - Family Law Listings
ABA Directory of Children's Law Programs. A directory of children's law centers, organized by state, with links to each center's website.
Journal and Website Articles
Meadows, Wendy S. "How to Build a Mediation Focused Family Law Practice." Law Practice Today, Apr 2026.
Osowski, Carrie. "I Thought I Loved Family Law, Practicing It Almost Wrecked My Life" 80(2) Bench & Bar of Minnesota 12 (Mar 2023).
This article offers a personal narrative of one attorney's experience practicing family law.
Aguilar, Ben. "Should I Open a Family Law Office?" 35(2) GPSolo 72 (Mar/Apr 2018).
This article offers tips on how to start your own family law practice.
Buie, Elise F. "A Family Lawyer's Story." 35(2) GPSolo 16 (Mar/Apr 2018).
A family law attorney, who owns a firm in Seattle, recounts her career path.
A practitioner writes on why she became a family lawyer.
Coble, Kathleen. "What Kind of Office Should I Hang My Shingle On?" 38(3) Family Advocate 18 (Winter 2016).
Coble focuses on what solo practitioners should consider when choosing office space. She started her own family law practice in 2006.
Journals
The Library has the following journals, which emphasize family and domestic relations law. A person interested in a career in family law can consult these journals to develop a general awareness of current issues in the field.
- Canadian Journal of Family Law
Hein Online: PDF Articles
Westlaw
Lexis - Children's Legal Rights Journal
Hein Online: PDF Articles - Family Advocate
Hein Online: PDF Articles
Westlaw
Lexis - Family Law Quarterly
Hein Online: PDF Articles
Westlaw
Lexis - Journal of The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
Westlaw
Lexis - Juvenile & Family Court Journal
Hein Online: PDF Articles
Organizations
The following organizations are either active in family law and domestic relations or maintain an interest in them. They offer membership information and possible employment opportunities.
A. Organizations Concerned with Family Law in General
American Bar Association--Section of Family Law
Section of Family Law
321 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60654
The largest bar association for family law practitioners in the country, the Section holds regular meetings and continuing legal education seminars throughout the year. It issues two journals, The Family Law Quarterly and Family Advocate (quarterly), and also publishes books of interest.
Law Student Membership: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/family_law/resources/law_students/
website: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/family_law/
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML)
330 N. Wabash Ave, Suite 2000
Chicago, IL 60611
An association of certified attorneys specializing in matrimonial and family law. It seeks to encourage the study, improve the practice, elevate the standards, and advance the cause of matrimonial law in an effort to preserve the family and society. It conducts institutes and sponsors advanced continuing legal education programs. Publication: Journal of American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (annually).
website: http://www.aaml.org/
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC)
6525 Grand Teton Plaza
Madison, WI 53719
(608) 664-3750
An association of judges, counselors, family court personnel, and attorneys concerned with the resolution of disputes affecting children. Works to develop and improve the practice of mediation and counseling as a component of judicial procedures. Conducts research and technical training programs. Publication: Family and Conciliation Courts Review, quarterly.
email: afcc@afccnet.org
website: http://www.afccnet.org
B. Organizations Focused on Children and Youth Rights
ABA Center on Children and the Law
1050 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 400
Washington,DC 20036
(202) 662-1720
Under the Young Lawyers Division of the ABA, the Center sponsors multi-disciplinary conferences for child advocates. It employs attorneys and staff to conduct research, write, and provide training in the area of children's law. It publishes books of interest to attorneys, and issues a monthly journal ABA Child Law Practice.
website: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_interest/child_law/
The National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC)
899 N. Logan St., Suite 208
Denver, Co. 80203
303-864-5320
A leading multidisciplinary membership organization, the NACC devotes itself solely to skills-building for lawyers working on behalf of children. It publishes books on child advocacy, puts out a quarterly The Guardian, and holds annual conferences.
website: https://naccchildlaw.org/
Legal Services for Children
870 Market Street, Suite 356
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 863-3762
The first nonprofit law firm for children and youth in the country. LSAC provides free legal and social services to children under 18 years old in the San Francisco Bay area.
website:http://www.lsc-sf.org/
Children's Defense Fund (CDF)
840 First Street NE, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 628-8787
The Fund offers systematic, long-range advocacy on behalf of children and teenagers. Engaged in public education, monitoring of federal agencies, litigation, legislative drafting and testimony, enforcement of civil rights law, advocacy of child access to existing programs and services, and creation of new programs. Publishes a monthly newsletter, CDF Reports.
E-mail: cdfinfo@childrensdefense.org
website: http://www.childrensdefense.org/
National Center for Youth Law (NCYL)
428 13th St
FL5
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 835-8098
NCYL provides assistance to other child advocates nationwide, conducts trainings, publishes, and does class action litigation intended to benefit large numbers of poor children. Publishes the quarterly Youth Law News.
website: http://www.youthlaw.org/
C. Organizations in Virginia
Virginia Bar Association
1111 E. Main Street, Suite 905
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 644-0041
The Virginia Bar Association is a voluntary, statewide professional organization of more than 5,500 lawyers and judicial members. The VBA invites all licensed Virginia lawyers to join. Lawyers in good standing of the Bar in another state or the District of Columbia are eligible for membership. The VBA has a domestic relations section.
E-mail: thevba@vba.org
website:http://www.vba.org/
Virginia State Bar
1111 E. Main Street, Suite 700
Richmond, VA 23219-0026
(804) 775-0500
The Virginia State Bar, the official agency regulating the legal profession in Virginia, has a Family Law Section.
website:http://www.vsb.org
Commission on the Needs of Children
Virginia Bar Association
Professor Julie McConnell, Chair
University of Richmond School of Law
Richmond, VA 23225
Phone: 804-287-6093
E-mail: jmcconne@richmond.edu
The Commission is an interdisciplinary body within the Bar Association that is interested in family law issues affecting children. It helps educate lawyers, judges, physicians, and the public about children's needs and promotes law reform in this area. It has been an advocate of a statewide system of family courts.
website: https://www.vba.org/?pg=Children_Commission
Continuing Legal Education
Virginia Law Foundation
105 Whitewood Rd.
Charlottesville, VA 22901
(800) 979-8253
E-mail: vacle@vacle.org
website:http://www.vacle.org/
The Committee on Continuing Legal Education of the Virginia Law Foundation and the Family Law Section of the Virginia State Bar co-sponsor two workshops on family law each year: Annual Family Law Seminar and Annual Advanced Family Law Seminar publish the proceedings and materials deriving from these workshops.
Photo: Associated Press