Externship Descriptions
Corporate Counsel Externship Program
Judicial Externship Program
Legislative Externship Program
Public Service Externship Program
Corporate Counsel Externship Program
(Revised 05/09)
What is the Corporate Counsel Externship?
The Corporate Counsel Externship provides law students the opportunity to earn four ungraded credit hours toward the J.D. degree while externing in a corporate legal department. Students in the LL.M. program may also apply for the externship with the advice and approval of the Director of the LL.M. program. Each student enrolled in the one semester Corporate Counsel Externship will observe day-to-day activities in the legal department and develop legal skills under the direction of a supervising attorney. The specific matters handled by inside corporate counsel at a given time vary based on the business opportunities and challenges that face the client (the corporate business unit(s) served by the lawyers) at that time. In the discretion of the supervising attorney, assignments may include projects with or under the direction of other members of the legal department as well as projects with and under the direction of the supervising attorney. Students must devote at least an average of sixteen hours per week during the semester to the externship (20 hours per week for a 12-week summer placement). The externship provides a unique opportunity to learn highly specialized legal skills of corporate counsel.
For the regular semesters during recent years, we have been able to place several externs in selected divisions of the Legal Department of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. each semester and one extern in the Legal Department of Tyson Foods, Inc. each semester. We have also had externs during the summer, although Wal-Mart’s Legal Department does not currently invite applications for summer externs. We have considered, and expect to continue to consider, placements with other corporate legal departments located in the region as appropriate opportunities arise.
The program allows students to observe meetings and conferences on corporate legal matters, including legal department and attorney practice area meetings, case reviews, and meetings and conferences with business people. Depending on the department or departmental division to which a student is assigned, the program also provides opportunities for the extern to undertake, observe, review, draft, and discuss with members of the legal department a wide array of professional tasks, skills, and documents performed or prepared by corporate counsel in connection with business contracts and transactions, mergers and acquisitions, securities reporting, litigation and litigation support and management, real estate transactions and closings, employment issues, regulatory compliance, government relations, and other matters handled by members of the legal department.
A member of the legal department serves as the coordinating supervising attorney. The faculty supervisor and the coordinating supervising attorney work together to select, train, evaluate, and communicate with the attorneys who provide direct supervision of the students and to acquaint each supervising attorney with the goals of the program. At the beginning of each academic term, the faculty supervisor and the coordinating supervising attorney confer and provide appropriate information to the supervising attorneys participating in the program that term.
The externs do not normally engage in activities that would be subject to Rule XV of the Arkansas Supreme Court Rules Governing Admission to the Bar. At the discretion of the supervising attorney, however, externs may accompany lawyers appearing before courts or agencies. In keeping with applicable American Bar Association standards, students may not be compensated for participation in the program, but this policy does not preclude reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses related to the externship to the extent company policy provides for reimbursement.
What are the Goals of the Program?
This program will provide students with the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they develop in law school within a corporate legal department under the tutelage of highly skilled and experienced attorneys. The program is not intended to lead to employment opportunities at the corporation. The program’s specific goals include:
- Exposing students to the practice of corporate counsel and the legal issues faced by corporate counsel on a daily basis;
- Teaching students how issues talked about in the academic environment are actually dealt with by expert corporate counsel;
- Allowing students to observe strategy sessions that integrate business and legal perspectives;
- Providing opportunities for students to apply and improve their legal writing and analytic skills in a dynamic business environment;
- Enhancing legal knowledge and legal skills by placing students in the context of business transactions and business situations; and
- Introducing students to professional responsibility issues applicable to corporate counsel.
Classroom Component
From time to time during the academic term, attorneys in the legal department who choose to do so may present instructional sessions and overviews dealing with specific aspects of corporate counsel responsibilities, the work of different divisions or specialty areas of the legal department, and relevant business and legal issues. Each extern should attend all of these sessions unless excused by his or her supervising attorney. Students must also attend tutorials led by the supervising faculty member for the program, which will occur at the beginning of each term and at least three times during the term. During those tutorial sessions, the faculty supervisor will lead the students in discussions and exercises that will provide opportunities for reflection on the externship. The faculty supervisor for the program is Professor Carl Circo, who has over 25 years’ experience working with and for corporate counsel.
Evaluation and Grading Procedures
The faculty supervisor will meet at the beginning of each academic term with the students enrolled for that term, either individually or as a group, to review the requirements, procedures and standards for the externship. Subject to any limitations imposed by the supervising attorney to protect confidentiality and proprietary information, each extern will keep a log and journal that records the hours spent in the externship, a general description of the tasks and activities performed and observed, a summary of the externship experience, the student’s reflections on the experience provided by the externship, and suggestions for future improvements in the externship. The student is responsible to comply with the standards of professional responsibility applicable to corporate counsel and to learn and follow the supervising attorney’s guidelines concerning the protection of confidential and proprietary information. The supervising attorney may examine the student’s log and journal upon request. Additionally, the student must submit the log and journal to the supervising faculty member periodically during the academic term and at the end of the externship. The law school will retain the final log and journal, along with related materials, in the same confidential manner as the law school retains final examinations.
A supervising attorney will complete and submit to the faculty supervisor a written summary of the extern’s performance over the course of the academic term, covering such areas as the time spent by the extern, the nature of the extern’s projects, and the supervising attorney’s assessment of the caliber of the extern’s performance. The faculty supervisor will meet or confer with the coordinating supervising attorney during the term and will review the supervising attorney’s evaluation of the extern’s performance and the extern’s log and journal. The faculty supervisor may also make on-site visits during each academic term. To the extent permitted by the supervising attorney in light of concerns over confidentiality and the protection of proprietary information, the supervising faculty member may review and consider the extern’s written projects submitted to the supervising attorney. After consultation with the coordinating supervising attorney, the supervising faculty member will assign a grade of either “pass” or “fail” for the academic term.
Application and Selection Process
Applicants must be either third-year law students or second-year law students who have completed three law school semesters. Each applicant must have successfully completed a course in Professional Responsibility. For placements in certain legal department divisions or specialty areas, Business Organizations or other specialized upper-level courses in relevant subjects may be helpful. An applicant generally should have a cumulative law school grade point average of 2.7 or higher, and should have demonstrated throughout his or her law school career adherence to the highest professional standards, good work habits, and strong legal research, analysis, writing, and oral communications skills. As a condition to participation, externs may be required to sign a confidentiality agreement and other agreements and documents that the participating company may request based on corporate policies concerning confidentiality, security, liability, or similar matters.
During the designated application periods each semester, interested students who meet the minimum requirements should submit a letter of application, the names and contact information for two references (including at least one member of the law school faculty), and a resume. (It is not necessary to have your references write letters in your behalf, you merely need to submit their names and contact information.) From this pool of applicants, students will be recommended for the available positions. The participating corporate legal departments make the final selections.
What do students say about the Corporate Counsel Externship?
This experience has been priceless.
Because of the externship program, I have acquired a skill set that will open doors to me throughout my career.
I would choose the externship again in a heartbeat without any hesitation.
One of the best things about the externship is that it puts students in close contact with great attorneys. . . . Another great thing about the externship is getting to meet clients and learning how corporate counsel supports the business of the corporation.
This program was invaluable, enabling me to transition between academia and real-world settings.
I appreciated the opportunity to network with attorneys and to be a collaborative member of the team.
Prior to my externship experience, I did not understand the role of a corporate lawyer, the intricacies of the relationships between corporate attorneys and outside counsel, or the possibilities for a career in the law beyond litigation.
It was a one-of-a-kind, real world experience that most law students are not exposed to, and I am very appreciative to have taken part in the program.
Where else would a third-year law student be exposed to billion-dollar transactional work?
This externship program has been the most memorable part of my legal education and has caused me to become passionate about practicing law upon graduation.
Judicial Externship Program
(Revised 05/09)
What is a Judicial Externship?
The Judicial Externship involves spending a significant amount of time during one semester in judicial courtrooms and chambers, seeing the operation of justice from behind the scenes. The three-credit Externship is available both fall and spring semesters and during the summer. For students thinking about practice outside of Northwest Arkansas, in the summer semester (only), the program allows the student to receive credit for externing with a judge in a geographic area of interest to them. In keeping with applicable American Bar Association standards, students may not be compensated for participation in the program.
The Judicial Externship provides students with several learning opportunities:
- To see various directions for using your legal education and how the courses you take apply to real people with real problems.
- To put your legal writing and analytic skills to the test with real world facts.
- To learn how a courtroom works.
Although there are many ways to practice law, some of which do not involve courtroom work, many lawyers do wind up in court on a regular basis. Most judges preside over a variety of cases (contract, real estate, torts, criminal law, etc.). Observation can confirm your decision to practice in a particular area of law, or show you another area that seems right for you. It brings civil procedure and evidence, particularly, into focus as you see how they help regulate the presentation of cases. You’ll have the chance to meet and talk with practitioners from the area and, on occasion, from throughout the state and nation. If you have questions about a certain type of practice, it is likely you’ll be able to ask them.
See LRW at work in the courtroom, through the efforts of lawyers representing clients. Among the duties you may be assigned are summarizing cases, research and the preparation of memoranda for the judge relating to motion hearings or trial pleadings. Compare the persuasive writing of the advocate with the objectivity demanded by the judicial decision-maker. What content from the lawyer helps the judge? Probably, you will be discussing your conclusions with the judge. You also will be consulting with any full-time law clerks, observing and then discussing courtroom proceedings, and (when feasible) attending chambers conferences with counsel conducted by the judge. Some judges focus the extern’s work more on research and writing, with some observation of court proceedings, while others focus more on observations than on legal analysis assignments.
Who are the “players” within the courtroom? What are the duties performed by the various staff? What can a lawyer do to help him or herself build a good reputation with the court, quite aside from the legal merits of a case?
What are the Goals of the Program (Faculty Policy 2-507)?
“(e) The goals and educational objectives of the externship include the following:
- Exposure to the manner in which academic learning in areas such as evidence and procedure is implemented in practice;
- Observation and education in sophisticated aspects of the process of litigation;
- Evaluation, with the expertise and perspective of the supervising judge, of the strategies and effectiveness of attorneys in their representation of clients before the court;
- Practice and improvement of legal research and writing skills; and
- Consideration and resolution of issues of professional and judicial responsibility.”
Expectations, Evaluation and Grading Procedures
The Externship is supervised by a member of the law faculty, who will meet with the externs regularly and review the work submitted, as indicated below.
Eligibility. The Judicial Externship Program (3 credits) is available to students who have completed at least two semesters of law school and are in good standing (minimum 2.0 GPA).
Time Commitment. Although the actual schedule will be worked out between you and the judge who selects you as an extern, you are expected to give 12 hours per week to fall and spring externships and 15 hours per week for 12 weeks to summer externships. For some distance externships (those outside the NWA area), the timing may vary, with the Faculty Supervisor’s permission, so long as the student works a minimum of 180 hours during the externship. If you decide to pursue an externship, plan your class schedule accordingly: Most court action takes place in the morning, and early in the week. Some hearings go a full day. Most students have found it best to schedule their classes so as to free up entire days or long mornings or afternoons early in the week. Otherwise, it can be difficult to get your hours in. (Hours can be accrued by observing Judges in other courtrooms when your judge does not have assignments for you or is away.)
Memorandum of Understanding. In order to gain the most from your experience, you and the judge should agree, at the beginning of the semester, on the range of reciprocal duties and responsibilities in which you and the judge will engage during the semester. That agreement must be put in written form, signed by both parties, and submitted to the Faculty Supervisor within the first week of classes or as soon as possible, given the judge’s schedule.
Time Log and Journal. You will be expected to maintain a time log and journal of your work in order to assist you in reflecting on your experiences during the semester. The time log and journal must be submitted to the Faculty Supervisor weekly, either by e-mail or in hard copy. It should include the number of hours worked that week and discuss your experiences during that week. In addition, the first journal segment should include a statement of your goals for the externship. Activities should be described generally and you should avoid including details that may be subject to rules of confidentiality. Sessions in open court are not confidential. In addition to listing what you did, you should reflect (in writing) on what you feel you learned, or improved your understanding of, during that activity.
Two Writing Samples. At least twice during the semester, you will be expected to submit a document you have drafted so that the supervisor may provide comment on the work. You should ask your judge for permission. To keep from doing a lot of work at the end, you should plan to submit the first writing sample about mid-point in the externship, and the second a few weeks later. If your judge does not ask you to perform research and writing tasks on a regular basis, you must take the initiative by selecting a case or two that interest you, or asking the judge to suggest one, from the court’s docket and draft a research memo on the issue(s) and/or a draft opinion, with points and authorities, as if assigned by the judge.
Meetings with Faculty Supervisor. You will communicate with the Faculty Supervisor at least three times during the externship, during the first week of classes (when you will submit your Memorandum of Understanding, unless another time has been set for that), at the mid-point and during the final week to discuss your experiences. The second and third conferences may be via telephonic or other agreeable electronic media for out of town or summer placements.
Final Written Paper. A ten-page essay, double-spaced, which thoughtfully reviews your experience, learning, and fulfillment (or not) of your goals, must be submitted at the end of the semester and cannot be repetitive of your journal entries.
Application and Selection Process
Cover Letter and Resume. You must provide an original cover letter and a resume for each judge to whom you wish to make an application. You may apply to more than one judge, but may accept only one position. Each letter should be addressed to the specific judge. It should include your contact information, including an e-mail address and telephone number. The letter and the resume should not contain any errors. You may want to ask Susan Schell to review your resume in advance.
Letter(s) and resume(s) should be submitted to the person indicated by that semester’s Judicial Externship Notice prior to the stated deadline. The applications will be sorted and forwarded to the judges. The judges have been asked to make their decisions by a stated date. The selection process is determined by the participating judges. Some will make a decision based on the letter and resume alone; others will conduct interviews with the applicants. The process is not grade-driven. Most of the judges choose an extern who seems truly interested in the learning experience. If you are selected, you may be notified directly by the judge or the judge may inform the Faculty Advisor, who will give you the news. If you are given an offer directly, please inform the Faculty Advisor immediately. You cannot register yourself for the course.
SUMMER EXTERNSHIPS IN OTHER GEOGRAPHIC AREAS:
In Fall 2008, the faculty voted to allow students to create a summer judicial externship in a geographic area of their choice. This option is available ONLY for the summer, and ONLY if the selected judge (presiding in a "court of general jurisdiction," i.e., "a court having unlimited or nearly unlimited trial jurisdiction in both civil and criminal cases") agrees to provide you with work and exposure to the activities named as goals of the externship.
If you are planning to practice in another community (perhaps in another state), and would like to learn about how law is practiced in that community, you have the opportunity to investigate with those judges and see if you can arrange a summer externship that would qualify for credit. As noted, any externship at a distance must be approved by the Faculty Supervisor, who will contact the proposed judge to discuss the externship goals and policy. Arranging an out-of-area judicial externship is normally the student’s responsibility. However, Susan Schell, Director of Career Planning and Placement, will help you put it together.
What do students say about the Judicial Externship?
This entire semester was like being in a movie based upon a novel written by John Grisham. Not only was this experience beneficial to my law school career, it has been even more beneficial to my future career as a practicing attorney. If I learned anything it was prepare, prepare, prepare. I honestly did not think my externship would help me as much as it did.
This entire semester was like being in a movie based upon a novel written by John Grisham. Not only was this experience beneficial to my law school career, it has been even more beneficial to my future career as a practicing attorney. If I learned anything it was prepare, prepare, prepare. I honestly did not think my externship would help me as much as it did.
I had participated in trial competition, and I took Trial Advocacy last fall, but I still felt like I was clueless when it came to the courtroom. As it turns out, I knew more than I thought. I also learned some invaluable lessons as I observed trial attorneys in the courtroom. It was great to see the substantive law I have been learning for the last four semesters actually in practice. It was also a great confidence booster — I loved realizing that attorneys in practice are just human, and that I have the ability to do what they do.
The Judicial Externship Program has been the best educational experience of not only my stint in law school but of all of my lifetimes educational experiences combined.
One of the most beneficial was the increased understanding of courtroom procedures. . . I had never actually entered a courtroom [before].
[a] broadening of my perspective regarding some of the broader social issues that are implicated within the judicial process.
I learned that, as an attorney, preparing your client not only means keeping in touch, but individualizing your approach and in many instances becoming a teacher for your client.
. . . at the end of the externship [I] was able to locate the relevant law in much less time than it took me at the beginning . . . .
Another seemingly obvious, and very valuable, benefit of the JEP is the networking opportunity provided to students. . . .
During a class, it is sometimes hard to see how I would put everything together that I have learned and see how that would apply in the practice of law. The extern experience tied up many loose ends for me.
. . . everything I put in to the externship in terms of time and effort came back to me tenfold.
Legislative Externship Program
(Revised 05/09)
The Legislative Externship provides two hours of ungraded credit. The externship is through the office of Third District Congressman John Boozman. His district office is in Lowell. The externship is limited to third year students, who have earned a grade of C in Professional Responsibility. The extern is selected by the Deputy Chief of Staff.
The externship does not involve partisan politics in any way. One requirement of the externship is that the extern refrain from any political activity or involvement during the semester. Standards of confidentiality and conflicts of interests are also applicable.
The extern is expected to work at least 10 hours a week, with 6 of those hours being present in the District Office. In addition the extern is to maintain a time log and journal, meet three times during the semester with the faculty adviser, and submit an end of semester paper to the faculty adviser summarizing the externship.
The nature of the work in the Congressman’s Office is determined by the needs of the office, and the experiences and interests of the extern. Typically the extern completes one major project for the office, and several smaller projects. The projects are to allow the extern to utilize their legal training, education and experience.
For example, one extern completed a legal analysis of state operated World Trade Centers, which preceded the creation of the Arkansas World Trade Center in Rogers. Another extern wrote a policy paper and drafted legislation on international adoptions. As a third example, an extern examined federal benefits for veterans returning from overseas tours of duty.
The smaller projects may include press releases, letters to constituents, and review of pending legislation.
Public Service Externship Program
(Revised 05/09)
What is a Public Service Externship?
The Public Service Externship Program will be offered for the first time in the Spring Semester 2010. It is a student-initiated externship, available to students after they have completed at least one year (30 credits) of law study and fulfill other requirements (see below). Students having an interest in public service are invited to create an externship placement that will allow them to explore a particular non-profit setting to learn whether it is the kind of work they want to do. The proposed externship placement must be submitted to the designated Faculty Supervisor for approval. The Faculty Supervisor’s decision of whether to approve a particular student-initiated public service externship opportunity shall be binding.
Upon approval of the Faculty Supervisor, a requested externship will involve exposure to real world situations, involving some aspect of public service, where a lawyer’s expertise and insights will be called for and can be observed. The student will gain an understanding of how academic learning is relevant to, and reflected in, the skills and responsibilities needed to function in that setting. The student will use and improve legal skills through the preparation and/or evaluation of written and oral work product, evaluate and reflect on the strategies, effectiveness, and opportunities for influence by and the impact of legal professionals in the public service setting, and consider and reflect on professional, legal, ethical, and/or political issues raised in the setting.
Normally, placements in private law firms or for-profit corporations would not qualify. A student participating in an externship program may not receive any payment for their work, and cannot divide work between externship and paid responsibilities (for example, by dividing a work schedule so that some hours are externship and some are paid). A student may not participate in an externship where any family member will supervise the student at any time.
What are the Goals of the Program (Faculty Policy 2-511)?
“(a) Goals of Program. The School of Law recognizes the educational value of public service externship placements under the supervision of licensed, experienced attorneys, and therefore offers students the possibility of a student-initiated public service externship for 2-3 credits of ungraded credit if approved by the designated Faculty Supervisor. The goals of this program are:
- To expose students to a wide range of public service practice environments, tailored to meet individual students’ learning and career goals;
- To offer students with an interest in a particular type of legal practice the opportunity to observe and participate in that kind of position in a supportive and learning environment;
- To encourage students to consider careers in public service settings; and
- To encourage students to observe and reflect on how classroom learning applies to practice settings.”
Expectations, Evaluation and Grading Procedures
The Externship is supervised by a member of the law faculty, who will meet with the externs regularly and review the work submitted, as indicated below.
Eligibility. The Public Service Externship Program (2 or 3 credits) is available to students who have completed 30 hours of law school classes, have obtained at least one faculty recommendation, are in good standing, and have not been the subject of a Student Conduct investigation.
Time commitment. The usual expectation is that a public service externship should last an entire semester (15 weeks during the spring and fall, and 12 weeks during the summer). For a two-credit externship, the average work load must be no less than 8 hours per week in the fall and spring, or 10 hours per week in the summer. For a three-credit externship, the average work load would be no less than 12 hours per week in the fall and spring, or 15 hours per week in the summer.
On-Site supervisor. The externship must be supervised not only by the Faculty Supervisor, but also an on-site supervisor who has agreed to pursue and abide by the goals and guidelines for externships; is a licensed attorney in the jurisdiction where the work is being performed; has a minimum of five years of legal experience after passing the bar examination; and maintains contact with the Faculty Supervisor during the externship.
Meetings with Faculty Supervisor. You will communicate with the Faculty Supervisor at least three times during the externship, during the first week of classes (when you will submit your Memorandum of Understanding, unless another time has been set for that), at the mid-point and during the final week to discuss your experiences. The second and third conferences may be via telephonic or other agreeable electronic media for out of town or summer placements.
Memorandum of Understanding. In order to maximize the value of the experience, the student and the on-site supervisor must agree, at the beginning of the externship, on the range of duties and responsibilities the student will undertake during the semester. That agreement must be put in written form, signed by the student and on-site supervisor and submitted to the Faculty Supervisor in the first week of the externship.
Time Log and Journal. Each week a student in a public service externship must provide to the Faculty Supervisor a journal entry that states the total number of hours worked that week, the nature and extent of the contact with the on-site supervisor, an overview of the experiences encountered during the week, and reflects on what they’ve learned from the experience. Activities should be described generally and you should avoid including details that may be subject to rules of confidentiality.
Two Writing Samples. At least twice during the semester, students must submit to the Faculty Supervisor written work product arising out of the externship (such as a legal opinion, correspondence, memo, policies, proposed rules or regulations) so that the Faculty Supervisor can provide comments on the work. These projects must adhere to all applicable rules of confidentiality. Names may be redacted. If there is no such written work product arising out of the externship, or the supervisor does not allow the student to reveal any of the written work product, the student must find legal issues to which the student is exposed during the externship that might have resulted in a written work product, and draft the applicable documents as if the project had been assigned by the on-site supervisor. This must be provided to the Faculty Supervisor in lieu of actual work product from the externship.
Final Paper. A final paper is required of all externs in this program. The paper shall consist of at least 8 double-spaced pages for 2-credit externships and 10 double-spaced pages for 3-credit externships, and must thoughtfully review the student’s experience, learning and how the experience related to the educational and career goals of the student at the outset of the program. This paper cannot duplicate or merely repeat prior journal entries.
Application and Selection Process
The student is responsible for making an application on the form approved by the dean, to be submitted to the faculty member designated by the Dean each year as the Faculty Supervisor. Student applications for approval of an externship for credit must be completed in writing and delivered to the Faculty Supervisor no later than October 15 of the preceding semester for a spring semester externship, no later than March 15 for a summer or fall semester externship.
The application must specifically include:
- The information from the student required under Faculty Policy, Section 2.511(b), and a statement that the student has or will have completed the minimum credit hours before participating in the externship;
- Nature and location of the externship with enough information to enable the Faculty Supervisor to determine that the requirements of 2.511(e) are satisfied;
- The name, qualifications, and contact information of the on-site supervisor, and a statement from the supervisor to the effect that he or she has read these policies and agrees that the externship will satisfy the standards included here;
- The educational goals of the externship and a statement of how those goals will or might relate to the long term career goals of the student;
- A commitment that the student will not be paid, and will not be supervised by any family member; and
- A commitment to comply with the other requirements of this policy if the externship is approved by the Faculty Supervisor.
