Externships

• U of A
• School of Law
• Current Students
• Externships

The University of Arkansas School of Law Externship Program provides students with practical legal experience while students also earn academic credit. In the program, students work outside of the law school in real practice settings while law school faculty mentor students in reflecting critically upon their experiences. Externships are available to second- and third-year law students who have successfully completed two semesters of law school, are in good standing, and (preferably) have completed or are concurrently enrolled in Professional Responsibility.

Externships expose students to the practice of law and provide opportunities for students to observe how issues and theory learned in the classroom manifest in practice. Externs observe sophisticated aspects of litigation, criminal and civil practice, public interest advocacy, and corporate counsel; and practice and improve legal research, analysis, and writing skills.

Most externships are 3-credit courses. The Corporate Counsel externships are 4-credit. In addition, the law school offers our third-year students the opportunity to complete an immersive, full-time (12-credit) practice experience through the Capstone externship program. Capstone externs must have completed 30 hours of law school coursework.

See recent externships →

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Components of the Externship Program

The Externship Program has two components – the experiential/field work component (the work the student does at the placement) and the academic coursework component.

The Experiential/Field Work Component

At each externship placement, a licensed attorney Field Supervisor is asked to serve as supervisor and mentor to the extern, assigning and overseeing tasks at the externship placement site. At the end of the term, the Field Supervisor completes an evaluation of the extern.

The field work component of the course is graded on a pass/fail basis. To pass the course, students must receive a favorable evaluation from their Field Supervisor and must complete the required number of field work hours (168 hours per semester for 3-credit externships and 224 hours for the 4-credit corporate counsel externships). In Fall and Spring semesters, students typically work a 14-week term. The summer term is 10 weeks.

The Academic Coursework Component

The Director of Externships or another Faculty Advisor directs and oversees the academic component of the Externship Program. Externship students are required to submit reflective writing assignments throughout the semester, including an initial Professional Development Plan, setting semester goals, a mid-term self-assessment and a final reflective paper. Students meet with the Director of Externships or another Faculty Advisor at regular intervals throughout the semester to discuss feedback on externship assignments and reflect on the student externship experience. Students must also submit weekly time logs.

All first-time externship students are required to participate in the externship seminar, a series of seminar classes during the first six weeks of the semester. Students engage in discussion and build skills useful to succeed in the externship program and ultimately in the practice of law.

The academic component of the course is typically one credit and is graded on a letter grade basis.

Find out how to apply for an Externship →

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