General Educational Objectives of the Externship Program
Educational goals of the Externship Program are consistent with the Law School's vision of clinical education: to develop in students the art of lawyering, teaching both skills and values, engaging students fully with the intellectual, pragmatic, ethical, and personal issues that arise in the practice of law. The Externship experience can help students accomplish these goals in at least the following ways:
Learning about personal professional development
A major benefit of their externship experience is increased understanding of strengths and weaknesses as lawyers. The externship experience tends to build student confidence and increase clarity of career goals. To support this goal, the supervisor should help the student take personal responsibility. Students should critically examine their own professional behavior and strive for self-improvement. Supervisors should model this behavior. Students who attempt to meet these objectives can develop a habit of continuing reflection and learning from their experience which will help them with their professional improvement in the future.
Improving specific lawyering skills
Externship placements can help students develop skills such as research and writing, legal analysis, interviewing, and, gathering, organization and communication of facts. Supervisors should select assignments that will challenge students' existing skills and expect a high level of competent performance.
Increasing insight into the legal system
Externship students often gain a more integrated and critical understanding of the how the legal system works than they have managed to develop in law school. This result is aided very substantially by thoughtful critical observation of attorneys, judges, and other personnel performing their jobs, and by discussing these observations with supervisors.
Developing a sense of professional responsibility
Both by serving as a role model and by engaging in dialogue with the student, the supervising attorney is an influential teacher of professional responsibility.
Learning about personal professional development
A major benefit of their externship experience is increased understanding of strengths and weaknesses as lawyers. The externship experience tends to build student confidence and increase clarity of career goals. To support this goal, the supervisor should help the student take personal responsibility. Students should critically examine their own professional behavior and strive for self-improvement. Supervisors should model this behavior. Students who attempt to meet these objectives can develop a habit of continuing reflection and learning from their experience which will help them with their professional improvement in the future.
Improving specific lawyering skills
Externship placements can help students develop skills such as research and writing, legal analysis, interviewing, and, gathering, organization and communication of facts. Supervisors should select assignments that will challenge students' existing skills and expect a high level of competent performance.
Increasing insight into the legal system
Externship students often gain a more integrated and critical understanding of the how the legal system works than they have managed to develop in law school. This result is aided very substantially by thoughtful critical observation of attorneys, judges, and other personnel performing their jobs, and by discussing these observations with supervisors.
Developing a sense of professional responsibility
Both by serving as a role model and by engaging in dialogue with the student, the supervising attorney is an influential teacher of professional responsibility.
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