Welcome to the Experiential Learning Program – Externships!
Mission
The mission of the Experiential Learning Program is to provide opportunities through externships for students to develop their practical legal skills in real-world legal settings while providing them with the academic support and guidance needed to ensure successful and meaningful on-the-job performance and deeper insight into what it means to be a lawyer.
Externship Program Requirements
Graduation Requirement
Students must earn six (6) credit hours in one or more experiential courses. Experiential courses include simulation courses, law clinics, and externships. Students interested in pursuing a legal externship for academic credit should review the Student Externship Handbook for detailed information about program resources and policies.
Identifying an Externship Placement
Students interested in completing a legal externship should seek out placements that best serve their specific professional development goals and interests. The Office of Experiential Learning is here to provide assistance to students looking for an externship for credit experience. Dr. J.L. Wyatt invites all students to discuss possible placements and how to ensure that particular placements will advance professional goals.
In order to qualify for the externship program, a placement must:
- Be a judicial clerkship or a position with a governmental agency, corporate legal department, or a legal non-profit agency;
- Meet the educational goals of the Externship Program; and
- Be under the supervision of a practicing attorney.
Placements with private firms or attorneys are allowed only if the firm or attorney meets the Private Firm Certification requirements and has a practice in particular practice areas. Preference is given to firms that have pro bono cases for students to work on during their externship. Please contact Dean Ortega for further details about placements with private firms.
Externship Field Placement Hours
Students must earn a minimum of two and no more than six credit hours in a semester. Students are required to work a total of 47 hours for each credit hour. For example, in a 14-week fall or spring semester, a student must work 141 hours or approximately 10 hours a week for 3 credits.
| Credits | Field Placement Hours Per Semester | Fall/Spring Hours Per Week | Summer Hours Per Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 94 | 6.71 | 9.40 |
| 3 | 141 | 10.07 | 14.10 |
| 4 | 188 | 13.43 | 18.80 |
| 5 | 235 | 16.79 | 23.50 |
| 6 | 282 | 20.14 | 28.20 |
Externship Placement Approval Process
Before the semester begins:
- Watch the Externship Orientation Video and complete the quiz.
- Externship orientations are now offered virtually and can be completed at any time. However, it is best to complete the orientation prior to the anticipated semester.
- The externship program, including the application process, is explained in the orientation video.
- Find and secure a fieldwork placement.
- To begin the process of seeking academic credit, visit 12Twenty and click on Experiential Learning. Next, click on “New Experience” and complete your externship registration (Secured Placement Application).
- After your application is approved, sign the Memorandum of Understanding with your Site Supervisor and email the agreement to jwyatt@johnmarshall.edu. Dr. Wyatt will sign the agreement and email you and your Site Supervisor final copies.
Externship Registration Process – 12Twenty (Complete your Secured Placement Application)
- Access your 12Twenty account,
- From your student profile page, select Experiential Learning in the menu to the left,
- Then click New Experience at the top right,
- Once you click New Experience, you will be taken to Create New Experience. Please make sure you read the notice at the top of the page. When done, fill out/complete the remainder of the registration,
- When you click Save, it will take you to a preview of your registration. This is the last time you can make any edits before you submit your registration for approval. If all the information is correct, click Submit.
Special Notes:
- Under the Basics section, select Experiential Learning Type,
and then click Externship. Continue to fill out the required information. - Under the Other section, you will need to click Yes for “Did
you attend the Mandatory Externship Orientation Meeting? If not, DO NOT CONTINUE!” in order to complete the registration. Once you click Yes, you will be able to fill out/complete the remainder of the form and submit your registration for approval. When done, click Save.
Enrollment in Legal Externship Courses
Students completing their first externship for academic credit:
- Register your placement on 12Twenty (for 2 to 6 credits); and
- Enroll in the 1-credit Learning from Practice seminar (DD-665) class using the student portal; and
- Instructions to access the class syllabus and required assignments on Canvas will be emailed at beginning of semester.
Students completing a second or subsequent externship for academic credit:
- Register your placement on 12Twenty (for 2 to 6 credits); and
- You will participate in the non-credit based Advanced Legal Externship seminar (D-660) class; and
- Instructions to access the class syllabus and required assignments on Canvas will be emailed at beginning of semester.
Important Notes:
Your externship registration in 12Twenty must be submitted and approved, and the Memorandum of Understanding must be completed and signed by the student and their Site Supervisor and emailed to jwyatt@johnmarshall.edu before students will be granted permission to enroll in the Legal Externships course.
Some field placements such as Grady, the Tax Law Externship Clinic, the Veterans Law Externship, and most prosecutors’ offices require a clearance process that takes 2-3 weeks before you can start working on-site. Please take this into consideration when applying.
All prosecutors’ offices (solicitor’s and district attorneys) require that students be eligible under the Third-Year Practice Act. They will not accept the Student Practice Certificate.
Welcome to the Experiential Learning Program!
Mission
The mission of the Experiential Learning Program is to provide opportunities for students to develop their practical legal skills in real-world legal settings while providing them with the academic support and guidance needed to ensure successful and meaningful on-the-job performance and deeper insight into what it means to be a lawyer.