Externships
Duke Law offers four types of externships: Individual Externships, Advanced Individual Externships, Faculty-Mentored Externships, and Integrated Externships. Each kind of externship involves a field placement component and an academic component; externs must complete 50 hours of fieldwork per credit enrolled.
To apply for an externship, all students must fill out the Qualtrics form on the Externships website by the last day of the registration period for the next semester. Students interested in a Faculty Mentored Externship should read the handbook closely for different directions. Because of the varying schedules of placement organizations, the placement need not be confirmed at the time of the application, and students may list as many placements as they like, provided they meet the above deadline.
Students can choose between a Monday or Wednesday seminar class from 4-6 p.m. in the Spring 2026 semester.
Refer to the Externship Handbook for more detailed information.
Please see our FAQs.
New for Spring 2026
All students interested in (or planning on) externing in the Spring semester of 2026 must attend one of six fall office hour sessions with Professor Gordon. These sessions will take place in Professor Gordon’s office, Room 1183 (under the clinic pod). All sessions will be held from 12:00-2:00p. No sign-up is necessary; just show up.
- Tuesday, September 16 (in person)
- Monday, September 29 (in person)
- Wednesday, October 15 (online via Zoom)
- Wednesday, October 22 (in person)
- Thursday, November 6 (in person)
- Tuesday, November 11 (in person)
Students are encouraged to bring their questions, ask for advice on finding placements, hear about program requirements, and discuss best practices for setting up quality placements with site supervisors. Students MUST attend one of these sessions with Professor Gordon to get approved for an externship placement for the spring.
I had the opportunity to draft the statement for one of (the United Nations) Special Rapporteurs. Not only did this assignment offer me the chance to practice a new form of writing and research an area I find very interesting, but it will also be amazing to hear the words I wrote spoken before the (U.N) General Assembly in New York.
A student participating in an externship must have completed or be currently enrolled in a course designated as satisfying the Ethics and Professionalism Requirement for graduation. This requirement may be waived, with permission, in order to enroll in an externship. A student who has earned 6 credits in externships and wishes to enroll in additional externship credits must obtain the prior approval of the faculty Curriculum Committee. A student participating in an externship may not earn a salary or receive other compensation for the work performed in the placement, except for reimbursement for travel and other work-related expenses required by the placement entity.
The following types of externships are available: Individual Externships, Advanced Individual Externships, Integrated Externships, and Faculty-Mentored Externships.
2 to 4 credits plus 1 credit seminar class (required)
An Individual Externship is a part-time field placement taken in conjunction with regularly scheduled Duke Law classes. These externships range from 2 to 4 credits. Students must attend a required seven-week seminar class which adds an additional 1 credit. Externs must complete 50 hours of fieldwork per credit enrolled, and those hours must be completed roughly between the first and last day of classes for a total of 12-13 weeks, according to a schedule mutually agreed between the student and the host organization. Only 2L and 3L students, and LLMs in their second semester of study, may enroll in an externship. A student may not exceed six total credits of externship during law school without permission from the Externship Director.
2 to 4 credits
A student who has completed an Individual Externship may, in a subsequent semester, enroll in an Advanced Externship, which is an Individual Externship with reflective activities and meetings in lieu of the Externship Seminar. Students are discouraged from enrolling in the same externship placement for an additional semester, and externship credit will be permitted in this circumstance only with special permission from Professor Gordon. (Do not leave this until the last minute!) In conformance with ABA standards, such externships will entail opportunities for ongoing, contemporaneous reflection.
Advanced Externship students may, but are not required to, choose a faculty supervisor other than Professor Gordon. That supervisor will read the students’ reflection papers, have beginning-, middle-, and end-of-term meetings with the student, and advise Professor Gordon about whether to award the (ungraded) credits for the placement.
Faculty-taught course that integrates a shared-theme externship experience with complementing seminar.
Integrated Externships are available where multiple students’ externships share a subject matter or placement site. Arranging an Integrated Externship (other than Duke in D.C.) requires advance planning and coordination with faculty members; students interested in such externships should contact the Externship Director as soon as possible. The Duke in D.C. program entails a full-time placement and a four-credit Federal Policymaking seminar, for a total of 13 credits.
Full-semester externships for up to 14 credits
Faculty-Mentored Externships allow students to pursue placements away from the Triangle area. Students pursue a full-time field placement taken in conjunction with a research paper, tutorial, or other faculty-guided academic requirement. Students earn up to 9 credits for the placement and up to 5 credits for the faculty-mentored components. In no event may a student receive more than 14 credits for a Faculty-Mentored Externship. Faculty-mentored externships, including externships abroad, require Curriculum Committee approval. Click here for more information on requirements of the program.
- Supervising Attorney Handbook
- Guide to Providing Effective Feedback
- Supervisor/Extern Statement of Expectations
- ABA Standard 305
- Dept. of Labor FactSheet #71: Internship Programs Under the FLSA
- N.C. State Bar Rules Governing the Practical Training of Law Students
- Duke Law School Anti-Discrimination Policy