Externships

Through externships students work in a legal or law-related setting for academic credit.  Externships combine the benefits of earning academic credit, gaining practical experience, and developing professional contacts.  The Student Externship Manual, which includes registration and academic requirements, is on Blackboard. 

The externship program is governed by both the American Bar Association’s Standards and Executive Committee Regulations of the Association of American Law Schools.

Externship Opportunities

We offer dozens of pre-approved externship opportunities. See the pre-approved list on Blackboard. You also can arrange an externship through your own contacts (subject to approval by the Director of Externships) or through a referral provided by the Director of Externships.

Types of externships

We offer the following types of externships:

• Criminal Litigation Externships with state or federal public defenders and state or local prosecutors
• Federal Government Externships with executive or legislative agencies of the U.S. government
• Judicial Externships with judges, courts, and organizations that provide research, educational, and management services to judges and courts
• Nonprofit Organization Externships with civil legal services and legal aid organizations and private nonprofit organizations
• Private Practice and In-house Counsel Externships with solo practitioners, law firms, and in-house law departments of  for-profit entities
• State and Local Government Externships with city or county attorneys, attorneys general, and executive or legislative agencies
• U.S. Attorney Externships with civil or criminal divisions of U.S. Attorney offices
• Virginia Attorney General Externships
• Virginia General Assembly Externships with members of the Virginia Senate or House of Delegates during the spring General Assembly session