Brook Poyer and Catherine Schumacher—student attorneys in Catholic Law’s Columbus Community Legal Services’ Families and the Law Clinic (FALC)—recently appeared in D.C. Superior Court and obtained a Civil Protective Order (CPO) for their client, Lois.

Working under the supervision of clinical instructor Erin Scheick, Brook and Catherine connected with Lois through FALC’s partnership with the D.C. Superior Court’s Domestic Violence Intake Center, through which certified student attorneys assist survivors fleeing intimate partner violence file for and obtain civil protection orders.

Brook and Catherine first met with Lois when she called for assistance after her husband threatened and strangled her. Brook and Catherine assisted Lois in filing a petition and affidavit for a CPO, and subsequently represented her in negotiations with the opposing party. Through a lengthy negotiation, the FALC students were able to negotiate a consent CPO that gave Lois many of the legal protections she sought. The students also assisted the parties in negotiating a temporary custody and visitation arrangement for Lois’ children.

Three weeks after taking the case, Brook and Catherine appeared before the Honorable Sean Staples of D.C. Superior Court to represent Lois in her request for a CPO against her estranged husband.

The students’ hard work and preparation was apparent in court, as Judge Staples granted Lois’s request for a CPO, and issued the agreement the students had helped negotiate as a permanent, two-year order of the court. Lois expressed gratitude for the support, sharing that, “The patience and thoughtfulness you all have shown me throughout this process has been a blessing.”

Catherine expressed that, “Working with Lois on her CPO case has been one of the most impactful and rewarding experiences of my law school career. Representing her in court and being able to advocate for her and her children’s safety was inspiring because it demonstrated the ways in which family law can make positive impacts on people’s lives.” Brook further reflected, “[I]t was a privilege to be able to apply what we have learned to help Lois; her dedication to her family and children was inspiring, and it reminded me of how important our work is to our clients.”