Practical Skills. Insight. Mentorship.
Attorney Practice Externships allow students to work in the field and complete substantive legal assignments under the supervision of an experienced attorney, all while earning credits towards their experiential learning requirements. Students extern in every legal sector: private, public interest and nonprofit, as well as local, state and federal government. The field work is accompanied by a a weekly interactive and reflective classroom component.
How do I submit my placement for approval?
- Externships must be submitted for approval on UB Law Connect.
- Paid externships are subject to a separate approval process and must be submitted for approval at least 3 weeks before classes begin.
- Unpaid externships must be submitted for approval at least 1 week before classes begin.
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What is an Attorney Practice Externship?
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An Attorney Practice Externship is an experiential learning course where students receive academic credit for legal work completed under the supervision of an attorney at an approved field placement.
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The course is a total of 3 credits (pass/fail) which includes both the fieldwork and the weekly seminar.
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Students must complete at least 130 hours in the field placement and are encouraged to spread their hours evenly over the semester. Students must work at least 10 weeks during the academic year.
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The seminar includes students in a mix of attorney placements and focuses on developing professional skills and competencies applicable to all areas of law practice
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When can I complete an Attorney Practice Externship?
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After you have completed 28 credits towards your JD degree (1L curriculum)
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The concurrent weekly seminar and writing requirements are required to receive academic credit.
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The Attorney Practice Externship course is generally offered year-round.
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Generally there are 3 sections offered during the academic year and one section in the summer. This schedule may vary based on demand and staffing considerations.
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Seminars will be conducted online through a combination of synchronous Zoom sessions and asynchronous writing and discussion assignments. You must be available to attend the synchronous Zoom sessions.
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Does an Attorney Practice Externship fulfill my experiential learning requirements?
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All students in the J.D. program must complete at least 6 credits of experiential learning, at least 3 of which must be a live-client experience (Clinic or Externship with an attorney)
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An Attorney Practice Externship fulfills the 3 credit, live-client, experiential learning graduation requirement.
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How do I find an Attorney Practice Externship?
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You must find your own placement and apply directly to the employer.
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You can look on UB Law Connect for posted opportunities, or you can find your own placement.
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Please make an appointment with a Law Career Development Office counselor or Prof. Lall, Director of Externships, for additional guidance in finding a placement.
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How do I know if it is an appropriate placement?
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Placements may be paid or unpaid. Paid externships are subject to a separate approval process.
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You may extern for a current or former employer if you submit an Educational Plan and the Director of Externships approves the placement as a substantively new learning experience
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The work must be substantive legal work, diverse in nature, and must include opportunities for writing and observation. Students must produce at least 10 cumulative pages of original written work product in the placement.
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Field placements may be conducted at both public and private sector legal offices, and can include policy or legislative work.
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At least one of the field placement supervisors must be an attorney with at least 3 years of experience. In the case of JD Advantage placements, like legal compliance, the supervisor needs to have completed law school and have three years of relevant legal experience.
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Externships at an office where you have a close relative working are presumptively inappropriate.
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Are remote placements allowed?
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Externships may be fully in-person, fully remote, or a hybrid of in-person and remote work
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All field placements should have a plan for remote student work in case it becomes necessary due to Covid-19 infection or quarantine
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Discuss expectations around in-person and remote work when you are interviewing. Make sure that you and the field placement supervisor have a mutual understanding of what will be required of you.
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