Extern Programs

Loyola University New Orleans College of Law's Externship Program permits students to receive academic credit while place in the field and learning through experience. The Office of Skills and Experiential Learning works with field placement offices to ensure students receive an academically rigorous experience. Externs are required to attend class, maintain a journal based on the experience, produce a final written portfolio and maintain weekly time sheets. Students are eligible to apply for an externship beginning the spring semester of their first year for a summer, fall or spring placement. Enrollment is limited, some academic restrictions may apply. Students may only earn a maximum of six credits in an externship course.

Through the Externship Program, students at the College of Law gain hands-on experience while making real impacts in courtrooms, governmental agencies and non-profit organizations.Once selected, externs are placed in a Field Placement Office (FPO) specific to their area of interest. Over the course of the semester, the site supervisors and professor guide externs through specific learning goals individualized for each extern, but developing larger skills such as legal research, analysis, writing, legal knowledge and oral presentation. Students will learn specific areas of law related to the site office and reflect upon the law and experience in the classroom.

To learn more about externships, including deadlines to apply and various Field Placements offered including a description of the type of assignments, please visit www.law.loyno.edu/externships.

The Learning Goals for the Externship Program include:

• To engage each student fully with intellectual, pragmatic, ethical and personal issues arising in the practice of law.
• To diligently improve building skills necessary for the practice of law including legal analysis, problem solving, evaluating legal arguments, effective communication both in written and oral form.
• To develop organized and professional scheduling systems to best implement time management strategies that foster setting and meeting deadlines, practice without procrastination and help maintain life balance.
• To effectively evaluate various research tools and implement coherent and effective research strategies under realistic time pressures.
• To amplify knowledge of certain ares of procedure and substantive law in context, specifically the nature of legal rules and judicial institutions working of the legal system and the profession.
• To identify ethical rules, professional standards and best practices in the context of field work.
• To develop reflective practices to foster self-assessment on routine basis and better strategies to evolve as a lawyer.

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