The two words are so alike, it’s easy to think externships and internships are one and the same. Not so!

An externship is an academic program that allows you to earn course credit for unpaid work in a real-life setting within the legal field. Faculty members arrange externship placements, teach the classroom components of externship courses, and work closely with the lawyers, judges and mediators who supervise your work at your placement site to ensure that you learn as much as possible from your externship experience.

An internship, while facilitated by the School of Law through our Career Services office, is not a law school course. Rather, it is a not-for-credit opportunity to gain practical experience by working in a real-life legal setting. Some internships are paid positions, others are volunteer.

Through both externships and internships, you not only can develop lawyering skills and explore career options, you also can forge valuable relationships that can lead to employment opportunities after graduation.