Student Externships

Notre Dame Law School offers students a variety of externships that allow students to obtain valuable hands-on learning experiences. The Summer Externship allows a student to choose a worksite from the list of past externship placements or to propose a new worksite that can be approved by a supervising faculty member of the student’s choosing who agrees to participate; however, summer legal externships may no longer be done with private, for-profit law offices or other businesses. Many write journals or reflection papers and have regularly scheduled check-in meetings with their faculty advisor.

Other externships are associated with regularly scheduled classes and are under the direction of the assigned professor. Our programs comply with ABA Standard 305: Study Outside the Classroom. Students electing any will be subject to the maximum of six that can count for credit toward graduation under the Hoynes Code section 4.4.2.2.1.

For more information about externships, please contact Associate Dean Lloyd Mayer via email or via phone at 574.631.8057.

Externships

Appalachia Externship – LAW 75800
(1-0-1) Jones
The Appalachia Externship is a one credit academic externship. Students spend their fall break or spring break providing pro bono legal services at the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of Kentucky (AppalReD), which is the federal and state-funded low income legal services provider for the Appalachian region of Eastern Kentucky. Students engage in several classroom preparation sessions and reading assignments exploring the culture, social issues, and legal problems of the Appalachia region. Students keep a daily journal during their field work and write a brief paper upon their return. This course does not meet the Skills Requirement. > Read More

Asylum Law Externship – LAW 75730
(1-0-1) Jones
The Refugee and Asylum Law Externship Program is a spring semester practical training course offered by the Chicago-based National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) for law students interested in immigration law. Students must apply to NIJC for admission to the program. Students accepted by NIJC will then be enrolled in this course. Professor Jones will post the application form on the student listserve once NIJC makes it available. Participating students will attend weekly evening classes in Chicago and will be assigned an asylum case to prepare for presentation before the Chicago Asylum Office. Each student will interview an asylum seeker and assist in the preparation of the client’s affidavit. After researching domestic and international law, as well as country conditions pertinent to the claim, students will assemble an I-589 asylum application with supplemental documentation and draft a legal memorandum in support of the application. At the end of the program, each student will file an application with the Department of Homeland Security and accompany his or her client to the interview at the Asylum Office.

Intercollegiate Athletics Externship (75907)
(2-0-2) Edmonds
The Intercollegiate Externship will provide an opportunity for law students to gain practical experience and academic credit in intercollegiate athletics administration through a classroom component taught by Law School faculty and senior-level administrator-attorneys from Athletics and via non-classroom externship work. Potential duties include reviewing contracts; assisting in the creation and revision of departmental policy; researching legal issues related to athletics; researching compliance issues; drafting, reviewing and revising compliance education materials; and auditing eligibility and other compliance-related forms. By permission only.

Legal Externship (summer only; cocurricular) (75731)
(V-V-1) Faculty
One unit of cocurricular academic credit may be awarded for student volunteer legal work of six weeks or more undertaken during the summer months in any court, agency, nonprofit organization, or public law office. The work must be conducted under faculty supervision, conform to the approved standards of the faculty, and have the advance approval of the associate dean for academic affairs. This one unit of cocurricular credit may count toward graduation requirements as one of the six maximum allowable cocurricular credits, but cannot count toward the minimum hours required during any semester for residency. The credit will be reflected on a student’s transcript.
> Outside Supervisor Form
> Student Application Form

Legal Externship—Public Defender (75733)
(2-0-2) Bradley
Involves assisting actual public defenders in representing indigent clients at the St. Joseph County Courthouse—Trial and Misdemeanor Division. Students can expect to represent clients in many capacities, some of which include negotiating plea bargains with prosecutors; preparing and conducting bench trials; interviewing and subpoenaing witnesses; writing and filing discovery motions; and other activities within the administration of justice. Students are expected to work at the courthouse one full morning or afternoon each week. Besides the courtroom experience, students must attend class sessions that feature prosecutors, police officers, public defenders, judges, and probation officers lecturing on their duties as officers of the court. Enrollment: limited each semester at the discretion of the instructor. This course does not meet the Skills Requirement.

Legal Externship—Public Defender (cocurricular) (75735)
(2-0-2) Bradley
Students who have completed the externship requirements of LAW 75733 may enroll for additional cocurricular credit. Students may work in the Trial and Misdemeanor Division at the St. Joseph County Courthouse or may assist felony public defenders. Those who work for the felony public defenders must agree to work at least 60 hours over the course of the semester. Prerequisite: Legal Externship—Public Defender (LAW 75733) Enrollment: limited each semester at the discretion of the instructor. This course does not meet the Skills Requirement.

Legal Externship—Public Defender— Ethics (70803)
(1-0-1) Bradley
Involves formulating solutions to ethical problems in the criminal justice system. Meets once per week. May be graded at the option of the instructor. Satisfies Ethics II requirement. Pre- or corequisite: Legal Externship—Public Defender (LAW 75733) This course does not meet the Skills Requirement.

Moot Court—Appellate (cocurricular) (75743) – Seventh Circuit
(1-0-1) Christine Venter
Second- and third-year students may earn academic credit through participation in moot court arguments and as members of the Law School’s National Moot Court Team, as well as through the representation of indigent defendants at the appellate level. Includes brief writing and oral arguments. Students will participate in weekly workshops to develop their skills in all aspects of trial practice.

With faculty approval (contemplated here to be accomplished by the Appellate Moot Court selection process), students may arrange to receive academic credit for unpaid externships if the externship satisfies policy criteria.

The one-credit Seventh Circuit externship requires selection as part of the Appellate Moot Court program and supervision by an adjunct faculty member, working with the instructor of the Appellate Moot Court course. The goal is to make sure that the students fulfill work obligations set by you, h in terms of the number of hours worked, the timeliness of submissions to you, and the professional quality of the work done.
> Outside Supervisor Form