An externship will help you learn from experience and begin the passage from student to professional. It offers the opportunity to compare the operation of the law and fulfillment of justice as learned in the classroom against the often-pressured reality of law practice.

You may enroll for 1 or 2 credit(s) of an independent externship, when you are enrolled in an upper-level related substantive course.

Independent Externship Requirements

• The field work must be undertaken during the same semester as you are enrolled in the substantive course.
• The work undertaken in the externship must be connected to the substantive content of the course.
• The externship must be supervised by a full-time member of the faculty teaching the allied substantial course.
• The work must be unpaid and legal in nature, performed under the supervision of an attorney.

Requirements for Supervisors in Independent Externships

• The student must be closely involved with a lawyer or judge who supervises the student's activities.
• Work undertaken must be legal work and must provide the student with varied responsibilities and settings and the chance to participate in professional discussions.
• Work must be unpaid, although reimbursement may be given for out-of-pocket expenses.
• The supervisor must complete an Independent Externship Firm Profile, an Independent Externship Supervisor Agreementwith the student, and maintain time records.
• The supervisor should provide evaluative feedback to the student and must complete written evaluations as part of the grading process.

This is just a summary. A complete explanation of the Independent Externship (Students) is available as a PDF.