家庭法关系到个人在其家庭和亲密关系中的权利和责任。它规范了我们社会中最基本，最重要的机构之一。对家庭法的研究引发了重要的政策辩论（例如堕胎，同性婚姻，财产分割和家庭中的性别角色），并涉及重要的理论问题的研究，例如规则与自由裁量权标准，国家法规与私人决策。它还需要注意围绕婚姻，离婚，子女抚养和儿童福利的实际法律问题，这些问题经常影响许多美国人的生活。要具备家庭法律能力，就需要向客户提供有关敏感个人问题的大量知识和技能。准备成为该领域的优秀律师，需要在起草文件，事实调查，访谈，咨询，客户沟通和辩护等方面发展许
Family law concerns the rights and responsibilities of individuals in the sphere of their home and intimate relationships. It regulates one of the most fundamental and important institutions in our society. The study of family law invites important policy debates (for example, abortion, same-sex marriage, division of property, and gender roles within the family) and involves the study of important theoretical issues, such as rules versus discretionary standards, state regulation versus private decision-making. It also requires attention to practical legal issues surrounding marriage, divorce, and child support and child welfare that regularly touch the lives of many Americans. Competency in the law of the family requires substantive knowledge and skill in advising clients about sensitive personal issues. Preparing to be a good lawyer in this area requires the development of many important, transferable skills in drafting documents, fact investigation, interviewing, counseling, client communication, and advocacy.