This course combines a scholarly and practice-oriented approach to understanding the legal response to domestic violence. Throughout the course, we will focus on the social context of battering, including how the experience of abuse is shaped by gender, race, cultural identity, immigration status, sexual orientation, and disabilities. We will cover the various legal remedies in both civil and criminal contexts and examine their efficacy. These include the role of protective orders in both civil and criminal courts. We will also discuss domestic violence in relation to divorce, child custody, support, visitation, and the child protection matters. Gender violence as a human rights violation, sexual assault law, and the role of the domestic violence movement are also introduced. The focus of this course is to examine current challenges and shortcomings in the legal response to domestic violence, and then consider proposals for alternative strategies for systemic change. (Credits may be applied toward Criminal Law Practice, Gender & Sexuality Law, and Public Interest Practice concentrations.)