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Externship Frequently Asked Questions

Incorporates all policy revisions effective as of March 27, 2008.

Overview of Externship Program
General Structure
Student Eligibility
Externship Sponsors
Application Procedures
Registration
Externship Grades and Seminars
Externship Application Deadlines
More Questions About the Externship Program?

Overview of Externship Program

What is the Externship Program?
Seattle University School of Law recognizes that experiential learning is an important component of a law student’s legal training. Experiential learning at the law school takes two primary forms: either the traditional clinic or the externship program, which places students with judges or practitioners.

A traditional clinic can offer a student the opportunity to represent a client in a live case, and a well-supervised externship program can help a student learn to manage a heavier case-load or to complete a variety of attorney work products in judicial chambers or practice settings. The externship experience helps the student move from law school to practice more easily. Both the faculty supervisor and the site supervisor guide the extern in reflecting on experiences in practice. This reflection enhances the practice experience by providing context for an extern’s reactions to situations and observations.

The externship program’s goal is to provide externs with a rewarding, well-supervised experience in judicial chambers or a practice setting that will ease their transition into practicing law, will instill professionalism, and will increase awareness of social justice concepts.

The externship program operates within the Law School’s mission, which focuses on social justice, especially access to justice, concepts.

So what are the program’s objectives?

to select sites in courts, government agencies, and non-governmental legal organizations that will provide excellent experiential learning experiences for the externs and will promote social justice concepts;
to select supervisors at those sites who have a passion for their work, have a desire to mentor students, have the ability to teach students, and have at least three years of practice experience;
to work with the site supervisors to ensure structured work assignments for the students at sites, good supervision on a regular basis, an adequate place for the students to work, and a generally positive working environment that fosters professionalism;
to increase the externs’ ability to take control of their own learning by assessing their skills in a range of areas, by targeting certain skills for improvement, and by working with both the site supervisor and faculty supervisor to enhance learning and to measure progress;
to provide additional experiences, away from an extern’s individual site, that will ease the transition to practice and foster professionalism;
to provide structured opportunities for the externs to reflect on their experiences;
and to increase the externs’ competence and confidence in their ability to practice law.

How does the program achieve the goals and objectives?

Placement at Externship Sites: Students apply to approved externship sites that are found in the Externship Sponsors Database.
Seminars: Students, whether enrolled in full-time or part-time externships, must take a concurrent seminar. The seminar courses include additional practical experiences such as presentations by court officials followed by tours of court facilities; presentations by faculty and site supervisors on various practice-related topics; and multimedia presentations by students. Students are usually assigned short readings appropriate for the sessions. Students will assess their skills in a number of areas and then measure their progress in improving their abilities throughout the semester.
Journaling: Students must submit a journal entry once every two weeks. Topics are required or suggested each week, but students may always write about topics that interest them. The journaling requirement is a means of fostering reflection.

General Structure

What is an Externship?
At Seattle University School of Law our Learning in Context curriculum includes: Simulation courses, student representation of actual clients through the Law Clinic, and Externships. Externships refer to law-related placements outside of the law school, where students do legal work for an agency or court and earn academic credit. Externships are offered as an educational opportunity in which the student is closely mentored by an on-site supervising attorney or judge and also has an opportunity for reflection and discussion with a faculty supervisor in a seminar format.

There are two categories of Externship: Part Time and Full Time. These are mutually exclusive categories: One can either do up to two (2) Part Time Externships (8 credits total) or one Full Time Externship (15 credits if Fall or Spring semester; 8 credits if Summer semester). All externships include a required seminar that is included in your total credits. See details below for the specific eligibility criteria for each.

How many credits can I get for an Externship?
For a Part Time Externship, 3 or 4 credits, which include a 1 credit seminar. For a Full Time Externship, 15 credits, which includes a 3 credit seminar (8 credits, including 2 for the seminar, if Summer semester).

How many Externships can I do?
That depends on which category you’re in:

If you do a Full Time Externship, that’s the one and only Externship you can do during law school.
Students may do up to two (2) Part Time Externships. The total number of credits allowed for Part Time Externships is eight, so this means that each of the two Externships may be for four (4) credits (you cannot do an Externship for less than three credits, unless it is in a special pilot program). Keep in mind that the Externships must be substantively different from each other. Students may NOT do two [2] Externships at the same time or do a Clinic and an Externship at the same time.
Just as you cannot take the same class twice, you cannot do two Externships of similar substance. For example, if you have done one judicial Externship at a trial court and you’d like to do another judicial Externship, your second one must be with an appellate court. Similarly, if you do one Externship with the misdemeanor division of a county prosecutor’s office, you could not do a second Externship with the misdemeanor division of a different county prosecutor. These experiences are too similar in substance. If you have questions about whether your proposed Externships satisfy this requirement, please contact the Externship staff.

How many hours do I have to work each week?

During Fall and Spring semesters, four hours per credit per week (3 credits = 12 hrs/wk; 4 credits = 16 hrs/wk; 15 credits = 40hrs/wk).
During the shorter Summer semester, six hours per credit per week (3 credits = 18 hrs/wk; 4 credits = 24 hrs/wk). Please note that for Full-Time Externships during the Summer you must work 40 hrs/wk and will receive 8 credits.
You may count one hour of the time spent in your externship seminar towards your total hours of onsite work. For example, if you are enrolled in a 4 credit externship, you work onsite 16 hours per week. However, on weeks that you attend your externship seminar, you are only required to work 15 hours.
Note: During holiday weeks, Full Time externs do not have to make up the hours missed at their site, but Part Time externs do. Please also remember that excusable holidays are determined by the sponsoring agency, not by Seattle University.
Note: You may not front-load your hours. For example, you may not work all of your required externship hours during the first six weeks of the semester and take the rest of the time off. Part-time externs must work through the last day of classes. Full-time externs must work through the last day of final exams for the semester.

Can I get paid for Externship work?
No. ABA accreditation rules do not allow compensation for Externship work.

Student Eligibility

Who is eligible to apply for an Externship?
Part Time Externships
Students who have completed at least 30 credit hours and are in the top 50% of their class, and students who have completed 45 or more credits and are in the top 75% of their class are eligible to enroll in a part-time externship for either three (3) or four (4) credits. All students are eligible for a part-time externship once they have completed 60 credits. The externship and required seminar run throughout the semester, beginning in the first week of classes and ending the last day of scheduled classes. See the Part Time Externship Application for more detail.

Full Time Externships
Students who have completed 60 credit hours and are in the top 50% of their class are eligible to apply for a full-time externship with federal district court and federal and state appellate court judges in Western Washington or Alaska, or the Washington State Governor’s Office. Many judges and justices do prefer the top 25%, however. Students are also eligible to apply for other “approved” full-time externships offered through the Externship Program. Students who choose to enroll in a full-time externship for fall or spring cannot enroll in any other externship or clinical course and cannot have previously taken any other externship or clinical course. This means that students who believe that they will be eligible for and are interested in applying for a full-time externship should not enroll in any other clinics or externships. Students participating in a full-time externship during the summer may not take any other courses during that summer, and may not take another externship, but could enroll in a clinical course or courses during other semesters for a total of 7 credits. The externship and required seminar run throughout the semester, beginning in the first week of classes and ending during the last week of exams. See the Full Time Externship Application for more detail.

Type of Externship	Number of Credits	Class Rank
Full-Time	60	Top 50% (Many sites require top 25%; some, top 10%; some, individual screening.)
Part-Time (3 or 4 Credit)	30	Top 50%
Part-Time (3 or 4 Credit)	45	Top 75%
Part-Time (3 or 4 Credit)	60	All Students Eligible

Rule 9 Information
Several Externship Sponsors require (or prefer) that Student Externs be Rule 9 qualified. This qualification allows a student to practice law under the supervision of an attorney. You can pick up Rule 9 application information from the Registrar or the Law Clinic. The site supervisor must sign your application, not the Director of the Externship Program. Note: The Washington State Bar Association does not waive Rule 9 application fees for externships.

If I apply, am I guaranteed an Externship?
No. You must be accepted for the Externship by the Sponsor. The Sponsor has complete discretion in choosing its Externs. That said, we always have more Sponsors than we have students applying, so don’t talk yourself out of it. Your chances are quite good!

Externship Sponsors

Where can I do an Externship?
Only public agencies and entities, public or private non-profit organizations, or the courts (at the level of superior court judge or above) may be certified as Externship Sponsors. The only exception to this rule involves the pilot Intellectual Property Externship program, which utilizes established partnerships with in-house legal counsel at several private corporations.

Where do I find a list of Externship Sponsors?
All approved Sponsoring Agencies are listed online. You may search by either the location of the externship or by the type of externship you are interested in. The Handbook is issued once a year, so the website will have the most up-to-date Sponsor listings. In addition to the site profiles, students have provided testimonials regarding their experiences at the various externship sites.

Can I do an Externship at a place that is not listed on the Externship Programs homepage (i.e. not an approved site)?
Generally, no. Students must apply for Externships at the sites that have already been developed and approved by the law school. Only in exceptional circumstances will a new Externship site be approved. Criteria considered for such approval include

Whether there are already existing Externship opportunities of comparable substance and experience;
Whether the proposed Externship site is appropriate for on-going Externship placements or is a project-specific or otherwise finite placement;
Whether the student has provided the Externship Staff with sufficient lead time to fully review and investigate the proposal. Generally, this review will include: consultation with the proposed supervising attorney, a visit to the site, assessment of the substance of the proposed work, and a written agreement with the supervising attorney regarding expectations and requirements for on-site supervision and mentoring.
Students who are interested in participating in an externship at a site that is not currently listed in the Externship Sponsors Database must contact Externship Program staff within two weeks from the beginning of the semester prior to the externship in order to allow sufficient time to determine whether this site can be approved for externship credits.

What if I want to an Externship somewhere outside of the Puget Sound region?
Proposals for out-of-area Externships will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. In general, out-of-area proposals will be approved only if they fulfill ABA accreditation standards and offer a unique learning experience that cannot be obtained within the Puget Sound region. The Externship Director must approve any proposal for an out-of-area Externship. With that said, we currently have many approved national and international where you could pursue an externship. If you wish to propose a new site, please contact the Externship Director at least six months before your intended Externship semester. In terms of planning for an out-of-area Externship, there is no such thing as starting too early.

I've been working/volunteering at this great legal agency and would love to make it into an Externship. Can I do that?
No. Faculty policies do not allow students to do Externships at places where they have previously worked or volunteered. The only exception would be if the proposed Externship involved doing substantially different work (e.g. with the same agency but in an entirely different division). The Externship Director must approve any such exception.

Can I do an Externship at a private law firm? Even if it is pro bono work?
No, students may not do Externships at private law firms. Additionally, students may not work at a firm while doing a Judicial Externship.

Where can I do a Full Time Externship?
Only at the following: Federal District Courts and Federal and State Appellate Courts in the Puget Sound region and Alaska; the Washington State Governor’s General Counsel; the Securities Exchange Commission or the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C.; the International Court of Trade, in New York City; Justice Moreno of the California Supreme Court, and the Staff Attorneys of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco; the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, or the International Criminal Court in The Hague; the World Trade Organization; the World Intellectual Property Organization, the International Trade Center, the International Labor Organization, or the Center for International Environmental Law in Geneva.

Can I take additional clinical credits if I do a full time Judicial Externship?
Students may not take more than 15 credits of clinics and externships combined. Unless students take a full time externship (15 credits), they may not take more than 8 externship credits. Students may take more than 8 credits in clinical courses, provided they do not exceed the 15 credit clinic-externship limit. Students may not do an Externship and a Clinic at the same time. However, a waiver of the usual rule may be available for third year law students enrolled in the Community Development and Entrepreneurship Clinic. Note that this waiver is available only for third-year law students, not second-year students.

What if I have additional questions not answered on the Web site?
If you have any questions not answered or addressed on the externship website, please refer to the Seattle University School of Law Student Handbook or talk with the Externship director or assistant for additional information or clarification.

Application Procedures

How do I apply for an Externship?
Students must submit to Danielle Armstrong, located on the 4th floor of Sullivan Hall, a separate packet of application materials for each externship site to which they wish to apply. The application packet consists of:

Student Externship Application and Certification form;

Cover letter addressed to the Supervising Attorney or contact person listed for the sponsor on the Externship Sponsors Database;
Resume;
Unofficial law school transcript, including classes in progress; and
Writing Sample, where requested (see database materials requirement).

You do not need to fill out an application form for each externship you are applying to. If you are applying for both full-time and part-time externships please submit one application form for each, with each site you are applying to listed under “Sponsoring Agency,” or attached on a separate sheet.

All applications for each externship site will be forwarded to the supervisor or contact person immediately after the deadlines listed above. Sponsors who receive applications will be asked to make their selections by the upcoming semester’s registration period.

Registration

How do I register for an Externship?
Turn in either your Part-Time Application or Full-Time Application (along with all required materials) to the Externship Assistant in Sullivan Hall by the posted deadline. Once you have notified the Externship Assistant of your acceptance and your eligibility has been verified, your information will be transmitted to the Registrar, who will then register you for the Externship. You cannot register yourself for an Externship (if you try to do so on-line, you’ll get an error message).

Can I still do an Externship even if I've missed the Externship Registration deadline?
Students may continue to submit applications using the procedure above up until one month prior to the beginning of classes of each new semester. The Externship Assistant will immediately forward the application to any sponsor who has not already received applications following the deadline. Students applying after the deadlines above should contact Danielle Armstrong in the School of Law to determine which sites are still accepting applications. However, you should be aware that your chances for obtaining an Externship decrease significantly when you apply after the sponsor’s deadline.

Externship Grades and Seminars

How are Externships graded?

For Part Time Externships: one credit of the total Externship credits is graded with a letter grade, which is based on participation in the Externship Seminar, factoring in the site supervisor’s evaluation of the student’s work product, work ethic, and general professionalism. The remaining credits are graded Pass/Fail and based on successful completion of work for the Externship Sponsor.
For Full Time Externships: Three of the fifteen Externship credits are graded with a letter grade, which is based on participation in the Externship Seminar, factoring in the site supervisor’s evaluation of the student’s work product, work ethic, and general professionalism. The remaining twelve credits are graded Pass/Fail and based on successful completion of work for the Externship Sponsor. In the Summer, two of the eight credits are graded with a letter grade, and the remaining six credits are graded Pass/Fail and based on successful completion of work for the Externship Sponsor.

What are the Externship Seminars and when are they scheduled?
There are three different Externship Seminars: Criminal Law, Civil Law, and Judicial. During your Externship semester, you must attend the seminar that matches up with the area in which you are working. Seminars meet during the week in the late afternoon or early evening and meet about ten out of the 14 weeks in Fall and Spring semesters and weekly during the Summer semester. If you have a class conflict with the seminar, you must deal with it as you would another class conflict.

Does the time in the seminar count towards my required on-site Externship hours per week?
Yes, on those weeks that you attend your externship seminar, you may count one hour of time spent in class towards your hours worked onsite. For example, if you are working 16 hours per week onsite, during the weeks that you attend your seminar, you may work 15 hours onsite.

Externship Application Deadlines

What are the Application Deadlines for the 2008-2009 Academic Year?
Summer Semester 2008: January 18, 2008
Fall Semester 2008: March 14, 2008
Spring Semester 2009: September 26, 2008
Summer Semester 2009: January 16, 2009

See additional detail above for information on how to proceed if these deadlines have passed.

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