Day students are eligible beginning in the summer after First Year. Evening students are eligible after three semesters.
Students are required to take a 2 credit Externship course concurrent with their externship. If a student is unable to take the Externship course due to extraordinary circumstances, the student may request admission to another externship course (if appropriate) or a waiver of this course to be supervised individually by the Externship Director. Requests for waivers should be made to the Director of the Externship Program ([email protected]) no later than 1 full week in advance of the semester add/drop date. Late requests for waivers may not be considered. Please note that a work or class conflict will not ordinarily be found to be an extraordinary reason not to participate in the externship course. All legal work is performed under the supervision of a lawyer. Students find and apply independently for a one semester externship
Opportunities exist in courts, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private law firms or corporations.
- One semester (available beginning summer after first year for day students, after three semesters for evening students)
- 2-5 credits (depending on total hours worked)
Formal Registration
Nature of Work
Student performs legal work under the supervision of a lawyer in an approved field placement.
Faculty Supervision
A Faculty Supervisor oversees the field work and serves as a professional guide.
Journal & Time Log Requirement
The student submits biweekly narrative journals and biweekly time logs reviewed and signed by the supervisor. The journals include student observations concerning the role of the lawyer, the dynamics of the legal system, and his or her own experience.
Field Placement
Students may earn from 2-5 credits per semester for their field placement work. One credit is earned for each 45 hours of legal work in the field. Credit for the field placement work is received on a credit/no credit basis. Students may distribute the hours to be worked as they choose during the semester with the approval of the site supervisor. The supervising professor must approve the number of credits appropriate for the student and the given placement in order to guarantee that the program's educational objectives are met.
Classroom Component
Legal Process and Practice
2 credits day; 2 credits evening
This course is required for all students registered for a legal externship. The two credits granted for this course are in addition to and independent of any credits awarded for that field placement experience. This classroom component will cover topics including ethical issues relating to externships; economic, social and moral issues in the legal profession; workplace skills; and discussion of field experiences. For their externship placement, students are required to keep regular journals which also will be discussed in this class. Readings and class participation are essential components of the course. An in-class oral presentation on a topic related to the student's fieldwork experience is required. An extended journal on an ethical issue is required. The paper will not satisfy the writing requirement. Student work is graded on a H/P/LP/F basis. This course does not fulfill the academic requirement for externships through Suffolk University Law School and the Center for International Legal Studies.
Eligibility
Day Students & Hybrid JD Students
Any day or hybrid JD student who meets all externship program requirements and has a GPA above 2.67 after the fall semester of their first year is eligible to apply for an externship to begin during the summer after their first year. Any day or hybrid JD student who has a GPA below 2.67 after the fall semester of their first year is ineligible to apply for an externship to begin during the summer after their first year. Thereafter, all day and hybrid JD students will be eligible to apply for externships, provided they meet all program requirements and are in good academic standing at time of their applications.
Evening Students
Any evening student who meets all externship program requirements and has a GPA above 2.67 after their third semester is eligible to apply for an externship to begin during the spring of their second year. Any evening student who has a GPA below 2.67 after their third semester is ineligible to apply for an externship to begin during the spring of their second year. Thereafter, all evening JD students will be eligible to apply for externships, provided they meet all program requirements and are in good academic standing at the time of their applications.
Accelerated JD Students
Any day accelerated JD student who meets all externship program requirements and has a GPA above 2.67 after their first semester (summer) is eligible to apply for an externship to begin during the spring of their first full year (third semester). Any accelerated JD student who has a GPA below 2.67 after their first semester (summer) is ineligible to apply for an externship to begin during the spring of their first full year (third semester). Thereafter, all day accelerated JD students will be eligible to apply for externships, provided they meet all program requirements and are in good academic standing at the time of their applications.
Any evening accelerated JD student who meets all externship program requirements and has a GPA above 2.67 after their third semester (spring) is eligible to apply for an externship to begin during the following summer. Any evening accelerated JD student who has a GPA below 2.67 after their third semester (spring) is ineligible to apply for an externship to begin during the following summer. Thereafter, all evening accelerated JD students will be eligible to apply for externships, provided they meet all program requirements and are in good academic standing at the time of their applications.
Contact
Students interested in an externship should email Mary E. Sawicki
Student Guide
For a complete list of program requirements, see the Student Guide [PDF].
How to Apply
Interested students are required to meet with Externship Director Professor Mary Sawicki in order to discuss the details of available placements. In addition, students may identify their own placement organization based on a particular practice area, but those students must still work with Professor Sawicki to get their placement approved.
Stages of the Externship Application Process
- Student arranges and has a meeting with Professor Mary Sawicki once the student has secured an externship or to discuss externship opportunities and the externship application process prior to completing the externship application.
- After the meeting, Professor Sawicki provides to the student the online externship application link.
- Professor Sawicki reviews the submitted application and informs student of the approval or denial of the application to participate in an externship.
Extended Externship Programs for 2025
Expanded Externship Programs for Spring 2025 [PDF]
FAQ
Q: Can I receive academic credit and receive monetary compensation from the field supervisor at the same time?
A SULS externship may be paid or unpaid. Paid externships are limited to a total of not more than 3 credits towards a student’s J.D. These credits must be taken in one semester. SULS is not responsible for monitoring or arranging compensation. All issues regarding compensation are solely between the placement and the student. All paid placements must comply with the mandates of the ABA Standards and all the requirements of the Externship Program.
For students already engaged in law-related employment, current work and/or placements will not automatically qualify for this program. In order to qualify, a student and placement must
- Comply with the mandates of the ABA
- Fulfill all Externship Program requirements, and
- Submit an educational plan providing that the student’s work will be law related and focused on developing lawyering skills
Acceptance of the student into the program is subject to the approval of the Director of Externships.
Q: How many externship credits can I earn while I am in law school?
You may earn up to 12 credits in externship and clinical programs.
Q: How does an externship differ from a clinical program?
The world of legal education is changing so these definitions are in flux. However, originally, clinics were law offices where law school faculty members directly supervised legal work done by law students for live clients. In contrast, externships were situations in which non-faculty lawyers supervised law students in settings outside of the law school, and the work was overseen by faculty members who gave additional guidance and encouraged ethical, professional, and other reflections upon the experience. In reality now, some of our legal externships are in private practice with lawyers who are also adjunct professors at the law school in substantive areas. And, in some of our clinics, supervision is done by lawyers who work outside of the law school context and our inside faculty oversee the field supervisors and give additional guidance and encourage reflection. In general, clinics at our law school involve supervision of indigents in pro bono litigation. In our externship program, many of the same opportunities are available for a single semester (prosecutors, defenders, legal services), so if you get closed out of a clinic or want to do one for a single semester, you may want to consider an externship option.
Q: Will the externship lead to a full-time job upon graduation?
Externships often lead to many things but students should focus on the present and on getting the most out of their field placement experience. Some field supervisors do not hire students upon graduation from law school but require lawyers with experience (e.g. U.S. Attorney's Office). Some field supervisors hire students for paid part-time jobs after they become acquainted with the student and his or her work. Others have hired students for full-time associate jobs upon graduation, but we have never kept tallies
Students usually receive: great experience; new knowledge and skills; a mentor in the field supervisor; opportunities to meet other lawyers in the same field; and great source of future information concerning professional opportunities.
Q: How do I decide how many credits to earn for my placement?
Many factors influence this decision:
- Student's academic load
- Student's extracurricular and other activities
- Whether the field supervisor has been previously affiliated with the Externship Program
- Field supervisor needs.
Many students' schedules (especially night students) do not permit them to take more than 2-3 credits of Externship. However, most students enjoy their placements more if they have more time in the placement. We aspire for the student to be immersed in the legal environment and immersion requires time. Some placements have minimum hours requirements.