Externships
The Externship Program enables students to receive academic credit for gaining legal experience beyond that available in the classroom setting, by working under the supervision of a licensed attorney in a governmental or non-profit setting.
The amount of credit awarded for the field placement component of a student’s externship is based on the number of hours that the student works during the semester in the externship placement, with 1 credit awarded for every 50 hours of work, and a minimum of two credits per placement (totaling about one day per week). Travel time to and from the externship placement does not count towards the 50 hour per credit requirement. Students must work in the externship placement over the course of the entire semester unless they obtain special permission from the Externship Director.
In addition to the hours spent working in the externship placement, first-time externs are required to take a 1-credit companion class on topics such as career planning, professionalism, and learning from supervision. Credit for work in the externship placement will be awarded on a Credit/No Credit basis, while the companion class is graded in accordance with a High Pass / Pass / Low Pass / Fail grading policy.
Please see our FAQs and a link to the Fall 2022 information session here.
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 without the required 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 the Curriculum Committee (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