Externship

Overview of Hastings' Legal Externship Program

The Legal Externship Program allows students the opportunity to assume professional roles under the close supervision of practicing attorneys at approved governmental or nonprofit legal services organizations. Students will articulate learning objectives that are substantive and skills-based and also focus on professionalism. Thus, students will learn substantive law, lawyering skills, and professional responsibility in context but also learn to observe, analyze and critique their own abilities and the roles lawyers and institutions play in our legal system. There are two essential components of each externship:

Classroom Component: Seminar focuses on developing the ability to learn from critical self-reflection, and draws on the students' experiences in their placements to advance not only their understanding of basic principles of substantive and procedural law relevant to their placements, but of the role of lawyers and legal institutions in society as well.

Fieldwork Component: Students work either 12 or 16 hours per week at a governmental or non-profit legal organization approved by the Director of Externship Programs. Enrollment is contingent on acceptance into a fieldwork placement approved by the Director.

Externships in Law and the Sciences

Students may be placed with nonprofit groups and governmental agencies to gain hands-on experience in legal practice related to health and/or science. This experience includes legal research, drafting memoranda and briefs, and working with experts from clinical and science fields. Students earn 4-5 units of course credit for completion of an externship on the following basis: 1 unit of non-GPA academic credit and 3-4 units of clinical credit graded on a pass/fail basis.

Eligibility

The Legal Externship Program is open to 4th, 5th or 6th semester students. Prerequisites for externship participation vary according to placement. Please consult the Director of Externship Programs.

How to Enroll

Submit an application and a copy of your resume to the Director of Externship Programs. If your application is approved, the proposed placement must also be approved.

Contacts

Nancy Stuart 
Director of Externships and Pro Bono Programs 
415.565.4620 
Or drop by the Externships and Pro Bono Programs office, 
100 McAllister, Room 350.