Externships
Program Objectives
The School of Law's faculty has adopted the following statement of educational objectives for its externship program:
The externship placement program allows a student to work under the supervision of a lawyer or judge in a public law office, government agency, or not for profit organization for such purposes as:
- Enhancing their legal research and writing skills
- Taking part in and observing law practice or judicial decision making
- Using concepts and skills learned in regular law school classes
- Appearing before courts and administrative agencies under Missouri Supreme Court Rule 13
- Understanding the requirements of compliance with the rules of professional responsibility
- Considering the difficult human and ethical problems that face modern lawyers
Students may apply no more than 3 hours of Externship Credit toward the required number of hours for graduation from the School of Law.
Students interested in the externship should talk to Professor Melody Daily (room 304) or Assistant Dean Tracy Gonzalez (room 103).
Program Structure
Externship opportunities are available during fall semester, winter semester, and summer session. Externs have the option of earning either two or three externship credits. During the fall and winter semesters, externs must attend a weekly class, for which they receive one credit hour.
In addition, externs receive one law school credit for each 60 hours of work they do at their placement sites. A student who wants three credits for the semester attends class once a week and works 120 hours at the placement site. A student who wants only two credits attends weekly class meetings and works 60 hours at the placement site.
Students who sign up for summer externships are required to attend classes prior to summer school, but there are no contemporaneous class meetings. Summer externs must complete 60 hours of field work to earn each credit hour, up to a maximum of three credits. These hours must be completed by the end of summer school. The course is graded Pass/Fail.
To enroll in the Externship course students must have completed their first year of law school and must be in good academic standing.
All students who enroll must obtain approval from the faculty in charge of the program for the semester in question. Students may consult the Office of Career Development, Professor Melody Daily or Professor Kandice Johnson regarding placement options. Students may apply no more than 3 hours of Externship Credit toward the required number of hours for graduation from the School of Law.
Course Requirements
To receive credit for the Externship course, a student must do the following:
- Attend all class meetings.
- Write a four- to five-page placement memo describing the purpose, organization, activities, and scope of authority or jurisdiction for his or her placement site.
- Maintain and turn in accurate time sheets.
- Turn in a copy of his or her resume, placement work schedule, and office telephone number.
- Schedule a conference to discuss the placement with the Externship Director.
- In cooperation with his or her field placement mentor establish a list of goals and activities (including observations) for the externship.
- Keep a journal of his or her placement experiences (approximately two pages [600 words] each week).
- Make one class presentation about the field placement.
- Complete and turn in a work notebook, which includes copies of the documents described above plus a summary memo and an evaluation of the student's field placement mentor.
- Any student who has not taken Professional Responsibility must complete a one-hour CALI program reviewing the Model Rules of Professional Responsibility before beginning the Externship.
- Student evaluation is based on satisfactory performance of these requirements, and on the student evaluation forms completed by the field supervisors.
Classroom Component
The classroom component of the course is intended to help students focus on the fundamental lawyering skills (as identified by the MacCrate Report), identify the skills they want to develop, and consider strategies for developing these skills both during their Externship experiences and later during their legal careers.
Faculty
The Externship Director is Professor Melody Daily, Clinical Professor of Law. She administers the program, interviews students, arranges placements, teaches the classroom component, and makes site visits during the spring semester and every other summer session. Professor Kandice Johnson, Director of Clinical Programs, supervises the alternate summer sessions.
Placement Sites
Externs are permitted to work under the supervision of judges or of attorneys in public law offices, government agencies, and not-for-profit organizations. They are not permitted to work for private law firms.
Most fall and winter externs select placement sites in Columbia and Jefferson City, but summer externs often choose sites located throughout the state. At the bottom of the page you will find a list of possible placement sites.
Possible Placement Sites
Kansas City
- U.S. Department of Education
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Soliciter
- U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- FDIC Legal Division
- Federal Reserve
- U.S. District Court Judge for the Western District of MO (7 judges)
- U.S. Magistrate Judge (3 judges)
- U.S. Bankruptcy Judge (3 judges)
- U.S. Trustee's Office
- U.S. Attorney
- Federal Public Defender
- Missouri Court of Appeals judges
- Judges of the Jackson County Circuit Court
- Legal Aid of Western Missouri
- ACLU
St. Louis
- Department of Veteran's Affairs
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service
- Federal Reserve
- National Labor Relations Board
- Small Business Administration
- U.S. Postal Service
- U.S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of MO (10)
- U.S. Magistrate Judge (7 judges)
- U.S. Bankruptcy Judge (3 judges)
- U.S. Attorney
- Federal Public Defender
- Missouri Court of Appeals judges
- Judges of the St. Louis County & City Circuit Courts
- Legal Services of Eastern Missouri
Jefferson City/Columbia
- Missouri Supreme Court judges
- University of Missouri Athletic Department
- University of Missouri ADA Coordinator's office
- Missouri Public Defender (offices throughout the State)
- Mid-Missouri Legal Services
- Missouri Attorney General
- Missouri Secretary of State
- Missouri Bar Association
- Missouri Department of Natural Resources
- Missouri Department of Mental Health
- Missouri Department of Revenue
- State Circuit Court judges
- Boone County Juvenile Office
Not-for-Profit Organizations
- Missouri School Board Association
- Missouri Hospital Association
- National Bar Association
- Legal Aid offices throughout the State
- Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys
- Volunteer Attorney Project of Kansas City
