Externships
University of California, Irvine School of Law places a strong emphasis on experiential learning and offers various opportunities for students to provide legal services directly to the community. A key component is the Externship Program, which provides academic credit for students doing legal work for judges, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies.
Program Goals
The UCI Law Externship Program's primary goals and the methods employed to achieve those goals include:
- Further developing the student's professional identity through participating in, and reflecting upon, the work of legal institutions;
- Increasing the student's understanding of the fundamental values of the legal profession including a commitment to a broad view of problem solving, promoting access to justice, and an ongoing process of self-growth through practice, feedback and reflection;
- Further developing the student's understanding of professional responsibility through observation of, and participation in legal practice;
- Improving the student's research, writing and analytic skills through drafting documents such as bench memoranda, legal memoranda, pleadings and orders upon which students are expected to receive detailed feedback;
- Improving the student's oral advocacy skills through observation of legal practitioners making such presentations and engaging in informal presentations themselves; and
- Increasing the student's knowledge of substantive law thorough work on legal issues on behalf of the placement organization.
Externships in the News
- Hughes on OCAABA Pipeline Committee Panel (PDF)
- UCI Law receives A+ grade for practical training – preLaw magazine
- UCI Law Student Gets First-Hand Experience of Impeachment Trial – UCI Law
- Dean Richardson, D’lorah Hughes, Crystal Adams ’15, Shirley Diaz ’18 and Sean Lobb ’18 quoted on UCI Law’s involvement in the UCDC Law Program – Orange County Lawyer
- D’lorah Hughes writes column on externships – Daily Journal
- UCI Law receives Public Law Center Community Partner of the Year Award – UCI Law
Externship Profiles in Practice
- TJ Thompson, UC Office of the President (Summer 2019)
- Prof. Porter opens congressional office to student amid shutdown
- UCI Law student gains trial experience through Washington, D.C. externship
- Laila Rashid, UCDC Department of Justice (Fall 2018)
- Julia Jones, Federal Public Defender (Spring 2018)
- Daniel Werner, Dolores Street Community Services (Spring 2018)
- Jaquesha Scott, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office (Spring 2018)
- Erika Bertelsen, Rainbow Services (Fall 2017)
- Matthew Jacinto, United Nations (Fall 2017)
Learn more about Externships at UCI Law (PDF) >