- When should I complete my application?
- All students must meet with the externship director, Shannon Kahn, smkahn@ucdavis.edu (or schedule a meeting directly via 12Twenty), as part of the application process, to ensure that the placement qualifies and meets with your academic performance and professional goals. Once you have applied for and been accepted to a placement, please submit the on-line application. If this is a new placement, please contact the externship director to discuss the placement approval process. Rena Contreras, rgcontreras@ucdavis.edu, the externship administrator, will then register you for the appropriate class. Students do not register themselves for externships. We are flexible about the application deadline, but an application must be submitted no later than the first day of classes.
- Are first year students allowed to enroll in the externship class? What about LLM students?
- No. Only second and third-year students may enroll. The externship class is only offered in the fall and spring semesters, not the summer. LLM students may take the externship class, but only with Dean Greenwood’s express prior approval. If Dean Greenwood grants permission, the LLM student should contact the externship director to discuss.
- What is a placement? Can I earn credit and be paid by a placement?
- A placement is a legal office such as a public interest nonprofit organization, government agency, corporate counsel office or judicial chambers that hosts students who are receiving academic credit. For-profit businesses may qualify; private law firms do not. Students may be financially compensated by a qualifying placement but only with the externship director’s pre-approval.
- Are remote placements allowed?
- In-person or hybrid placements are highly encouraged. Fully remote placements may be approved on a case-by-case basis; please contact the director of externships to discuss this option.
- How do I find a placement?
- Students are responsible for identifying, applying for and accepting a qualifying placement. You can start your search on 12Twenty; many placements post opportunities there. You may also review the list of past placements. This list includes placements where King Hall students have completed successful externships in previous semesters. If you have a particular placement in mind, you may also contact the organization directly about their recruitment process (first check their website) and current openings. Other ways to find possible placements: OCS resources, professors, social media, your own network, etc. If you are interested in a placement that is not listed (or feeling stuck in your search), schedule a meeting with the externship director to discuss.
- How many units should I take?
- All externships offer a part-time option from 2-6 units. Students may extern full-time in our Judicial, Capital Scholars and Administration of Criminal Justice externship classes, for 12 units. There are no unit options between 6-12. Each unit is 47 hours. However, placements may have a minimum or maximum number of hours. If you are considering a full-time externship, you need to be especially careful in planning your semester, and are advised to consult with Dean Scivoletto or Dean Ide-Don for their input. No more than 14 externship units are permitted in total. This limit includes units taken in the UCDC Externship Program.
- How many hours do I need to work for each unit?
- 2 units = 94 hours. 3 units = 141 hours. 4 units = 188 hours. 5 units = 235 hours. 6 = 282 hours. 12 units= 564 units. Students will need to calculate their weekly schedule for the 14-week semester. Example: 10 hours a week is about 3 units. Also, many placements require two full days a week, 16 hours. That is 224 hours, or 4 units at 188 hours (you will not earn units for all the hours worked).
- I worked somewhere over the summer/I externed at a placement in a previous semester. May I return and earn academic credit?
- It depends. Your choice of any placement should be strategic and align with your professional goals. If you would like to return to an organization for a second time (and all organizations must qualify for credit), your application will need to include a written explanation of how your subsequent time there will be significantly different or more advanced than your previous work. You may, of course, decide to work at a placement on a volunteer basis, but not for credit.
- Who supervises the student extern?
- The externship class is a unique model. Students have a field supervisor who provides legal assignments, feedback, and mentoring. At the law school, the externship director provides ongoing guidance through meetings and educational assignments.
- May I enroll in more than one clinic and/or externship in the same semester?
- No. Students may only enroll in one clinic, externship or practicum in any individual semester.
- I accepted a placement but now it doesn’t fit into my schedule. May I tell the placement I won’t be interning?
- We are aware that students have many demands on their time and that it is difficult to coordinate course work, extracurricular activities, outside employment, and personal responsibilities. It is imperative to analyze your schedule before committing to an externship. If a student has accepted a placement and subsequently drops it, the consequences can be severe. A student who could have had the experience may lose the opportunity, and a placement who had prepared projects and assignments for you may be less willing to accept King Hall students in future semesters. For these reasons, students who have accepted an externship position must obtain permission from the externship director to drop the placement.
- Where else can I find information about externships?
- The externship director holds information sessions about externships every semester, and over the summer, and is readily available for a meeting by appointment or during office hours. Previous programs on externships can be found on the Intranet. She is also available for appointments. Contact her at smkahn@ucdavis.edu or schedule an appointment with her on 12Twenty.
