Externship Program Information for Students

Externships broaden your employment opportunities by providing you with practical legal experience often not available through paid clerking or volunteer positions.

Serving as excellent preparation for post-graduate judicial clerkships, judicial externships acquaint you with the day-to-day operation of the courts as you work with trial and appellate court judges and their law clerks to research and write legal memoranda and draft opinions.

In legal externships, you'll work in civil or criminal practice in a specialized area of your choice with supervising attorneys in federal, state and local government agencies, corporate legal departments, or public interest organization.

JUDICIAL EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM
SUMMER/FALL 2021 SEMESTERS

Judicial Externship Program (JEP) is a 4-credit hour Pass/Low Pass/Fail program open to students who have completed at least their first full year of law school and want to do legal research and writing for a federal appellate, district or magistrate judge or designated Illinois appellate or circuit court judges.  JEP enables a student to become involved in particular legal problems through research and writing, and to contribute to the resolution of those problems by participating in drafting memoranda and opinions.  Depending upon the judge, an extern may also have the opportunity to observe the judge’s day-to-day routine and to discuss with him/her the issues and problems that judges confront. Take advantage of this prestigious learning opportunity while enhancing your marketability in the legal world.

Summer Application Process

The deadline for Summer 2021 Judicial Externships has passed but If you secured your own externship with a judge and would like to receive credit, you can fill out the below application and return it to Suzanne Blaz (sblaz@kentlaw.iit.edu), by Tuesday, May 4, 2021.

Judicial Externship Application, Secured Your Own - Summer 2021

Fall Application Process

The deadline for Fall 2021 Judicial Externships has passed but If you secured your own externship with a judge and would like to receive credit, you can fill out the below application and return it to Suzanne Blaz (sblaz@kentlaw.iit.edu), by Monday, August 2, 2021.

Judicial Externship Application, Secured Your Own - Fall 2021

ACCESS2PRACTICE
LEGAL EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM

What is LEP?

Access2Practice (A2P) Legal Externship is a 4-credit-hour Pass/Fail program which enables Kent 2Ls and 3Ls to gain supervision/mentoring in a wide variety of legal areas – both civil and criminal.  LEP externships are offered in the Fall and Spring semesters and in the Summer session and consist of two separate components: fieldwork and class.  Externs must work 16 hours a week during the Fall/Spring semesters and 32 hours per week in the Summer semester for a minimum total of 224 hours.  In addition, externs attend a series of classes that meet on designated Wednesdays from 4:00 p.m. - 5:50 p.m. Classes focus on different legal areas and the often complex realities at the core of law practice.

Applications for the Summer 2021 semester must be submitted to Professor Gross (vgross@kentlaw.iit.edu; cc sblaz@kentlaw.iit.edu) no later than Monday, May 3, 2021. 

Legal Externship Application - Summer 2021

Applications for the Fall 2021 semester must be submitted to Professor Gross (vgross@kentlaw.iit.edu; cc sblaz@kentlaw.iit.edu) no later than Tuesday, August 3, 2021. 

Legal Externship Application - Fall 2021

For additional information about LEP, you may also refer to the Externship Webage. 

More program information

• Legal Externship Program Description
• Judicial Externship Program Description
• Types of Externships
• Applying for a Legal Externship
• Legal Externship Listings - Symplicity
• Frequently Asked Questions about Legal Externships
• Contact Information

 

If you have any questions about the Legal or Judicial Externships, please contact Professor Vivien Gross (vgross@kentlaw.iit.edu). 

 

 

Recent Legal Externship Placements