The Externship Program is designed to enhance traditional classroom instruction by engaging students in real-life lawyering experiences with practicing lawyers and judges in the community. The program is open is third-year law students through the clinic/externship lottery. Students receive three units of academic credit for working at an approved externship placement.
Mentorship & Guidance
Mentors and on-site supervisors include federal and state judges, and lawyers from government agencies, public interest groups and corporate counsel offices. The Externship Program's faculty supervisors guide and facilitate the students' exploration of their externship experience through tutorials, journal writing and group discussion.
Lawyering
Through the program, student externs have the opportunity to try on and explore a particular area of practice, and observe different lawyering styles and techniques. Externships promote students' development of key lawyering skills, such as research and writing, interviewing and counseling, negotiation, and informal and formal advocacy. Through their work with faculty supervisors, students also develop reflective lawyering habits, which will enhance their ability to learn from their observations and experiences. Finally, through discussion of ethical and moral issues, the program attempts to enhance students' understanding of professional responsibility.
Requirements
Students participating in the Externship Program work under the direct supervision of an on-site supervisor for approximately 10 to 11 hours each week during the 14-week semester. Site supervisors are experienced lawyers who provide direction, supervision and feedback to the extern as the student initiates, progresses through and completes assigned projects.
Participation in the Externship Program
The program offers 50 placements in both the fall and spring semesters at a number of sites, and is limited to third-year law students through a lottery. The fall/spring program earns 3 credit hours.
The summer program offers 50 placements, both at judicial and non-judicial sites. First- and second-year students interested in summer placement earn 5 credits during the session and are on-site 32 hours per week.
The law school also offers a limited number of opportunities to spend the fall semester of their third year in law school as a full-time (40 hours per week) extern with a select number of sites in Washington, D.C., Chapel Hill, Asheville or New York City. Full-semester placements receive 12 credit hours for completion of the program. For more information, contact Professor Maria Savasta-Kennedy at mskenned@email.unc.edu.
More Information
Interested law students can find more information on My Carolina Law or contact Melissa Wood-Saltzman.
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