Field Placement/Externships

What is an Externship?

An Externship is a for-credit educational experience at a public service law placement. It is a field placement course where you gain practical experience at a worksite with a classroom component for reflection and guidance on the legal work you undertake. Essentially, an externship is an on-site unpaid position at a legal office, agency, or court through which students are assigned substantive legal work that may include research, writing, meeting with clients, assisting with policy development, attending hearings, or performing other tasks attorneys typically perform. Externships give you the opportunity to work in a legal setting, gain practical legal experience, experiment with different types of legal jobs, network, learn more about various areas of substantive law, and build your resume. If you are wondering whether to do an externship, we would encourage you to visit with students who have participated in the past.

What is an Internship?

Generally, we refer to paid positions as "internships".  To find internships, you would work with Career Development and apply for opportunities on Idaho Law Careers (ILC) and other outside job sites.

Why do an Externship? 

• Gain practical legal experience
• Network
• Earn experiential learning credits (6 required)

When can I do one?

Fall or Spring of each year for approximately 20-40 hours per week, depending on the number of credits you want to earn.