Please take a look at our frequently asked questions about externships at the Law School.
Externships are a form of “experiential learning,” in which students tackle the legal problems of real clients while gaining theoretical knowledge of the underpinnings of their work. Students learn about practice settings and skills through a combination of academic and hands-on work. Experiential classes also teach students about what interests them—issue, type of practice, work setting, etc.—by “trying it on.” Many employers (public interest, government, and private sector) value experiential learning because it provides reflective real-world experience under the guidance of a faculty member.
At Columbia, an externship is a two-part course that focuses on a specific area of law or a specific legal institution: (1) a substantive seminar that meets (usually) for two hours each week; and (2) a field experience at a public interest organization, government office, nonprofit or for-profit organization, and judicial chambers, which is closely related to the seminar, for 10 to 15 hours per week. Externs’ assignments usually are similar to those given to summer interns. The seminars are taught by adjunct professors who are leading practicing attorneys or judges, and the field placements are usually at their workplace, where externs are supervised by the adjuncts and/or their colleagues.
At Columbia, clinics are taught by full-time faculty members who both teach the seminar and supervise the practice component. Clinic students generally have more responsibility for their clients and their matters while the clinical professors provide oversight and advice. Typically, clinics provide less contact with practitioners in the field. Finally, clinics require more time and provide more credits (except for the Semester in Washington, D.C. Externship Program and the Pro Bono Scholars program).
Both clinics and externships offer students hands-on experience addressing legal issues for clients.
Most semester-long externships provide 4 or 5 credits—2 credits for the seminar (which may be graded or ungraded) and 2 or 3 credits for the field component. The Semester in Washington, D.C. Externship Program provides 13 credits—5 graded credits and 8 ungraded credits for the field component. Pro Bono Scholars provides 12 credits—4 graded credits and 8 ungraded credits for the field component. There is some variation—please read the course descriptions for the externships that interest you.
Students may take multiple externships in their upper years at the law school, but are limited to one externship per semester. In rare circumstances, students may take two externships, but only if they obtain written permission from professors of both externships. If you are considering petitioning to take two externships in a single semester, you should discuss this with both sets of externship professors upon applying and must obtain written permission from both sets of professors prior to accepting both offers.
Students may not take an externship and a clinic in the same semester. However, students may be an advanced clinic student and also take an externship in the same semester.
For J.D. students, no more than 30 of the 83 points of law school credit required for graduation may represent either externship, clinical, or other courses related to legal training. All credits earned from taking an externship will count against this cap. In addition, at least 64 of the 83 credits must be for regularly scheduled class sessions. The credits for the field placement will count against the 19 credit cap. Students who have taken clinics or other externships or who have received credit for supervised research, law review, moot court, or other nonresidential classroom activities (or plan to do so following an externship) should make sure that they will have the necessary credits to graduate. It is strongly suggested that, before applying for an externship, students consult Rule 1.1.3 of the Columbia Law School Rules for the JD Degree and meet with an academic advisor in the Office of Student Services.
All credits earned through externships, including both for the field placement and the seminar portions, will count toward the 24 credits LL.M. students need to graduate and toward the 24 qualifying credits for the New York State Bar Exam.
ALL OF THE EXTERNSHIP CREDITS COUNT TOWARD THE SIX EXPERIENTIAL CREDITS NEEDED TO GRADUATE.
Yes. Enrollment for most experiential learning offerings (externships and clinics) takes place through a combined application process each spring. This allows students to apply a year in advance for multiple offerings to maximize their learning opportunities. Students will be able to apply to up to twelve courses each spring including clinics, externships and/or policy labs/practicums. They will be asked to rank their course choices and, also, indicate which term, fall or spring, they would prefer to take the course.
A special limited application cycle takes place each summer for LL.M. and transfer students, and any student who would like to participate in the Experiential Practice courses. Another limited application cycle occurs in the Fall for any new offerings in the Spring semester.
Students are not permitted to take a clinic and an externship at the same time. However, students may be an advanced clinic student and also take an externship in the same semester.
To ensure the fullest access to offerings, students may not take more than one clinic during their time at CLS. Students may take multiple externships and policy labs across different semesters. However, students may not take the same externship more than once, and may not take a different section of an externship they have already taken.
For the majority of externships, students are placed by their seminar faculty in their field placements. However, some externships require students to participate in a separate process to secure their field placement. Students in these externships will receive instructions regarding the timeline for this process, which typically includes submitting a resume and interviewing with the placement. While the vast majority of students match with a placement, placement is not guaranteed.
Please contact the Director of Externships and Placement-Based Learning for more information.
No. Some externships are taught both semesters, but others are taught only in the spring or fall. A few externships are yearlong and start in the fall semester.
Students who secure their own field placements outside of the Externship Program can earn course credit under the supervision of a faculty member, either independently or in conjunction with a seminar. Please refer to the Experiential Practice and Supervised Experiential Study (J.D. or LL.M.) opportunities in the Curriculum Guide. Students may apply to one of the Experiential Practice courses as part of the limited summer application for the Fall, and limited October application for the Spring. Students may register for Supervised Experiential Study as part of the regular registration cycle—please refer any questions to the Director of Externships and Placement-Based Learning or the Registrar.
Students must adhere to the following policies if they secure an independent field placement: (1) Field Supervisor must be a licensed attorney; (2) for-profit law firms are not permitted; (3) the placement must span the full 14 weeks of the semester; (4) the work must be uncompensated; (5) students must have secured their placements by the close of the summer application period for the fall semester; and have secured or in the process of applying to the placement by October 31st for the spring semester; (6) The Director of Externships and Placement-Based Learning must meet with the Field Supervisor to approve the placement.
No. Students may not earn academic credit at the same field placement twice. A second-time field placement must be with a different organization or a substantially different branch of the same organization. Students should use the Externship Program to vary their experiences and try new opportunities that may not otherwise be available to them. Outside of the Externship Program and Supervised Experiential Study, students may continue to work at the same organization throughout their law school career for pay or no academic credit.
1. Externships offer the opportunity to learn through experience.
2. Externships are offered in many different areas of law and a wide variety of practice settings.
3. Students work on real cases under the supervision of experienced lawyers and the guidance of law school faculty.
4. Students have an opportunity to build professional relationships with practicing lawyers. Some students have gone on to work for their field placement organizations after graduation.
5. The real-world environment offers students unique opportunities to observe and experience legal culture and better understand professional norms.
6. Externship students observe and experience ethical issues in real time on real cases and can learn about these issues from both their supervisor and their professor.
7. Students are able to observe and experience work-life balance issues in the externship and explore the topics in class with the professor.
8. Externship students benefit from instruction and feedback from both their externship supervisor and the faculty member teaching the course.
9. Externship students examine supervision and feedback through a critical lens and learn how to solicit and respond to feedback.
10. The multi-layered supervision and feedback that students receive from supervisors and faculty contribute to students’ professional identity formation and growth.