Externships and Clinics Part 2

Top Questions About Externships - Part 2

In Part 1 of this topic, we covered some of the basics about externships at Quinnipiac Law: what they are, the tailored guidance you will receive setting up your placement, and why law students in Connecticut may have an advantage in gaining practical experience.

Below, we take a look at the exciting range of externship opportunities that Quinnipiac Law provides – and how you’ll stay connected and supported throughout the experience.

Where can I do an externship? What kinds of placements are available?

Quinnipiac Law has an impressive array of 350+ externship settings, including law offices, government agencies, the courts, public interest advocacy organizations, and corporate legal departments. No matter what area of the law you are interested in, we will work with you to find a setting with the potential to build your strengths and expose you to the pace and rigor of professional practice.

Externship sites are spread out throughout Connecticut and beyond. Many students opt for an externship in the state, but a good number take advantage of opportunities farther afield in New York, Boston, DC, LA, and international locations. While most students who work in placements far away from Connecticut choose to live near their placement and immerse in a “Semester in Practice,” we are now able to create virtual externships that permit you to remain in Connecticut and work remotely with a wide a variety of legal agencies in a range of locations.

Working closely with the externship faculty, you will be able to zero in on the setting and location that are right for you.

What will I do during the externship? How do I know the work will be meaningful?

No matter the setting, you will be doing substantive work that builds lawyering skills and increases your core legal knowledge. Remember, you will be working under the direct supervision of practicing attorneys – experienced lawyers, judges, legislators, and policymakers, doing the work that they do.

For example, you might work with in-house corporate counsel, working on transactions; with prosecutors or public defenders, interviewing witnesses and preparing trial strategy; representing adults and children in family court, whether at trial or mediation, or assisting legislative-branch lawyers at the state Capitol. These are just the tip of iceberg as far as potential experiences, but they should give you a sense of the depth and breadth of the work you will be doing.

Externship experiences are as varied as the clients and cases you will be working with, but they all have one thing in common: they will introduce you to how practicing lawyers integrate theory and skill, in real time and in real practice, and will do so in a setting relevant your goals for your future career.

Am I on my own during my externship – or is there a connection back to the law school?

Gaining experience, forging professional relationships, accomplishing legal work you can point to and be proud of – that’s all you. But you are definitely not alone in terms of support and connection.

First of all, we only permit placements at agencies or offices where the supervisor has agreed to provide close and supportive supervision—and they sign an agreement with the law school agreeing to provide that close level of supervision. Second, your Quinnipiac Law externship faculty member stays in good contact with both you and your supervising attorney throughout.

In addition, you will connect back with your faculty member and fellow externship students in the accompanying seminar, typically meeting every other week. Within that community of fellow externs, you will share and explore the experiences and insights you are gaining through your externship work. Even if you are the only extern at your placement, you are never alone.

Remember, every Quinnipiac Law student is guaranteed a meaningful practical experience in our externship program or through our legal clinics.

For more about externships at Quinnipiac Law, visit the website here. Interested in furthering the conversation? Drop us an email us at law@qu.edu.

Continue to Clinics Part 1

Externships and Clinics Part 2

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