Externships
Students interested in externships should consult the Externship Program Guide, which is available on the
Externships webpage for the most current information about externship offerings. Anyone who has questions should contact Assistant Dean David Santee. Externships have unique requirements and the selection process varies greatly for each one. Students may register for the following externships on NOVASIS:
- Defender Association of Philadelphia
- District Attorney - Philadelphia
- Montgomery County Public Defender
Externships not on this list will require approval by either the faculty advisor or the host agency. See the Externship Program Guide for the specific application requirements for each of the externships. Once approved, either the faculty advisor or Assistant Dean Santee will notify the Registrar’s Office that you should be enrolled in the externship.
Judicial Externships
The application process for judicial externships is different from other externships. Students interested in judicial externships should consult the Judicial Externship Program Packet, which is available on the Judicial Externships webpage. Anyone who has questions about judicial externships should contact Assistant Dean Santee.
Create Your Own Externship
If no available clinic or externship offers the experience you're looking for, you may create your own. The law school has an externship policy that allows the Dean’s designate, the Assistant Dean for Trial Advocacy Programs and Externships, to approve externships for three credits that comply with the policy. You should note, however, that law school policy does not permit creation of summer externships.
To comply with the policy, you must have a faculty sponsor and a host agency that is a public or not-for-profit agency or organization. You must identify a supervising attorney at the host agency. The externship, which awards 3 credits, requires you to work a minimum of 12 hours per week at the host agency, maintain a journal, and meet every other week with your sponsoring faculty member. To review the policy and to inform yourself of the requirements and obligations involved, check the on-line information found here.
An externship that does not comply with any aspect of the policy must be approved by the full faculty after review by the Curriculum Committee. In special circumstances, when truly unusual and valuable opportunities have presented themselves, students have obtained approval of externships outside the specific provisions of the policy.
