Attorney Externship for Students
Get hands-on experience while earning academic credit.
Eligibility
Attorney Externship Application (PDF)
Please submit the application to Externship Director D. Jill Green to have your placement approved.
Once your placement has been approved, you will receive an approval number that you can use to register for the class.
To participate in an Attorney Externship, you must:
- have completed at least one year of law school;
- not be participating in a clinic concurrently with the externship; and
- be in good academic standing.
Application Process
Once you have your approval number, you may enroll online during the regular class registration process. The course is LAW-860.
Securing Your Placement
Academic Requirements
Students must complete 130 hours in the placement for three credits (12-14 hours per week) and 180 hours for four credits (18-20 hours per week).
Students are required to complete 10 or 15 pages of substantive legal writing per three- or four-credit course.
Each student who is participating in the externship for the first time must attend the weekly seminar which will address, among other topics, legal ethics and professional responsibility—skills that are important to the attorney's effectiveness and the lawyer's societal role.
Each student is also required to have one or more individual conferences with the supervising faculty.
You are responsible for finding your own placement. For inspiration, you may want to review the list of public service employers where other students have recently worked. Also, look at our resources on the public interest job search.
Current opportunities are posted on Symplicity and PSLawNet.org. If you are interested in a particular organization, contact them directly, even if you do not see a job posting.
Meeting with a career counselor can be very helpful in identifying potential opportunities and developing your application materials. Schedule an appointment on-line from your Symplicity homepage.