Practical training

At U of I's College of Law, you have numerous opportunities to apply classroom theory to real life legal situations. These valuable practical experiences provide you with an excellent head start in your legal career. Through externships, clinical programs and legal competitions, practical skills meet public service. You handle real client cases, and gain valuable experience.

Practical training opportunities

Externships

Externships allow you to earn graduation credit while working with approved public agencies, nonprofits or state and federal judges. They help bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world practice, giving you valuable experience that can set you apart in the job market after graduation.

The externship program includes a field placement component that involves three aspects:

• Observation of, and immersion in, the day-to-day workings of a participating organization
• Professional interaction between the student and the field placement supervisor
• Involvement in specific legal problems and the resolution of those problems

As part of your externship, you will conduct legal research and assist your field placement supervisor with various law-related tasks. If you have completed two-thirds of your required credits for graduation, you may qualify for a limited license to practice law, enabling you to appear in court and try cases as part of your externship experience.

Past externships include:  

• Ada County Public Defender’s Office
• American Civil Liberties Union
• California Department of Justice
• Capital Habeas Unit Federal Defenders Services of Idaho
• Center for Justice (Spokane, Wash.)
• City Attorney’s Office – multiple cities
• Coeur d’Alene Tribe Office of Legal Counsel
• County Prosecutor’s Office – multiple counties, Idaho and Washington
• Idaho Attorney General’s Office – criminal, environmental
• Idaho Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence
• Idaho Legal Aid Services, Inc.
• Idaho State Bar
• Idaho State District Court – multiple districts
• Idaho Volunteers Lawyers Program (IVLP)
• National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Public Policy Office
• New Mexico Office of District Attorney, 2nd Judicial District
• Nez Perce Tribe Prosecutor’s Office
• Office of the Governor of Idaho
• 2nd District Court, State of Utah
• Southeast Alaska Conservation Council
• State Appellate Public Defender’s Office
• United States Attorney's Office
• United States District Court
• Washington State University Center for Human Rights
• Washington State Attorney General’s Office

For more information about our externships, contact law-externships@uidaho.edu.

Semester in Practice

The College of Law provides the opportunity for third-year law students to develop practical skills through a Semester in Practice in Moscow and in Boise.

You’ll work with approved public agencies, non-profit organizations and in-house corporate counsel offices to gain the on-the-job training you need to succeed after you graduate. In addition, the agency that you work for will benefit from your talent, creativity and enthusiasm.

The Moscow Semester in Practice focuses on criminal law and you can work in many places in the region, including Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and Spokane, Washington.

The Boise Semester in Practice focuses on numerous areas of the law. Students work in and around the Treasure Valley, one of the fastest growing regions in the country. 

Pro Bono Program

As a U of I law student, you’ll complete at least 50 hours of attorney-supervised pro bono legal work, guided by the principles of Rule 6.1 of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct. You’ll strengthen your skills and experience a commitment to public service.

Through the pro bono program, you’ll gain resume-building legal experience while helping people and communities in need. You can complete your hours in a variety of settings, including:

• Legal aid organizations
• Government agencies
• Nonprofits
• Legislative offices
• Private firms (on pro bono cases)

All work must be legal in nature, approved by our Pro Bono Director and professionally supervised.

Unlike our in-house legal clinics, this program doesn’t assign individual clients. Instead, you’ll join attorneys already offering pro bono services and support their legal work — from assisting with active cases to contributing to service projects.

This is your chance to make a difference, build your resume, and fulfill your ethical responsibility as a future lawyer — all before you graduate.

NOTE: This is an academic program for current law students. It is not a pro bono legal assistance program and it is not a program available to the general public. This academic pro bono program does not offer consultation nor representation on legal matters.

If you need legal assistance and are not already working with an attorney, contact the Idaho State Bar Association’s Idaho Volunteer Lawyers Program and/or at 208-334-4500.

Legislative Research Assistance Program

University of Idaho College of Law’s Legislative Research Assistance Program offers you direct legal experience while supporting the Idaho State Legislature during its annual session.

Open to all second- and third-year law students, this Boise-based program pairs students with legislators in need of help with legal research and writing on a wide range of policy issues. Projects vary each year, giving you the chance to explore different topics while sharpening practical legal skills.

If you're interested in public policy, legislative work or building a strong legal resume, this program offers:

• Real-world research and writing experience
• Direct collaboration with lawmakers
• Exposure to current legislative issues
• Pro bono credit for your time and effort

It’s a valuable opportunity to grow professionally while gaining insight into how law and policy intersect in real time.

Trial Advocacy Program

Kick off your 3L year with this immersive, week-long experience held in Moscow during orientation week. The Trial Advocacy Program brings together students from Moscow and Boise locations for courtroom training guided by seasoned attorneys, judges and clinical faculty.

Throughout the week, you'll apply your legal knowledge and advocacy skills. The program ends with a mock trial argued before a jury of1L students, giving you a real taste of the courtroom and a strong start to your final year.

Competitions

Moot court and dispute resolution competitions

The College of Law offers a range of opportunities for students to develop advocacy skills through moot court and dispute resolution competitions. Moot court activities are organized by the Moot Court Board, while negotiation and mediation competitions are led by Law Students for Appropriate Dispute Resolution (LSADR).

Appellate Advocacy Program (“McNichols”)

Held each fall, this intramural moot court competition is open to all second- and third-year law students. Moot Court Board members create the case problem, evaluate briefs and manage the competition. Participants submit a major written brief and present two preliminary oral arguments judged by faculty and students. The top 16 competitors move on to elimination rounds judged by practicing attorneys and judges from across the region.

Appellate (Moot) Court  

Students selected for this course participate in national moot court competitions. U of I typically sends teams to the National Moot Court Competition, Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition, National Latina/o Law Student Association Moot Court Competition and the National Native American Law Student Association Moot Court. Team selection and competition availability may vary based on resources and college priorities.

Negotiation and mediation competitions

Students compete in the ABA’s interscholastic Negotiation and Representation in Mediation competitions with faculty guidance and support (no academic credit awarded). Teams are selected through an intramural competition hosted by Law Students for Appropriate Dispute Resolution (LSADR) and judged by local attorneys and dispute resolution professionals.

Legal writing competitions  

Sharpen your writing skills and gain recognition by participating in one of the many legal writing competitions held each year by the American Bar Association, law firms, law schools and other professional organizations. The Academic Success office maintains a regularly updated list of current and annual contests to help you find opportunities that align with your interests and goals.

Financial support for practical training opportunities

Idaho Heritage Project

The Idaho Heritage Project – Rural Services Scholarship Fund supports law students who take on summer internships, externships or pro bono work in rural Idaho communities. This funding helps make it possible for you to gain your own legal experience in underserved areas, with the goal of encouraging future legal practice in these communities.

Hopwood Endowment

The Hopwood Endowment provides financial support for students interning with nonprofit land trusts across the Pacific Northwest.  

To learn more about land trust opportunities, contact the externships team at law-externships@uidaho.edu. If you are interested in applying for these funds, please fill out the application form. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Please note: Funding availability varies. Scholarship stipends typically range from $500 to $2,000.