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Semester in Practice

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The Semester in Practice program is an opportunity for third-year students to spend a full semester in supervised practice at a law firm, government agency or nonprofit entity.  The goal is to provide students with a bridge from the classroom to practice, to enable students to develop and hone practice skills before entering the job market, and to expose students to legal workplaces.

  • Academic Credit

    Students at a full-time placement will earn 12 clinical credits plus two classroom credits from a seminar. The course meets the law school’s Upper Level Skills Requirement.

  • Eligibility & Application Process

    The course is open to students in the final semester of law school. A minimum 3.0 GPA is required. Students will be screened by the faculty advisor, and the host entity will select students from among these screened candidates.

  • Customization

    The educational objectives and contours of the learning experience for each student will be planned at the beginning of the Semester in Practice, and will be customized based on the interests of the student and the type of legal work performed at the host entity.

HOW SEMESTER IN PRACTICE WORKS

At the beginning of the Semester in Practice, the host organization, the student and the faculty advisor will execute a written document specifying the type of work to be performed by the student and the educational goals of the semester, identifying a field supervisor, and setting forth the student’s work schedule.

The field supervisor will assign projects to the student; directly supervise the student’s work, including meeting regularly with the student and providing guidance and feedback on assignments; communicate regularly with the faculty advisor; and evaluate the student’s work at the end of the term.

The student, in addition to completing assignments given by the field supervisor, will maintain and submit work logs, maintain and submit a reflective journal, attend weekly seminars conducted by the faculty advisor, and complete a substantial piece of written work under supervision of the faculty advisor.

Course Information
Student Applications