Externships

At William & Mary, students train to be citizen lawyers both in and out of the classroom.  Legal externships offer students the opportunity to earn academic credit while gaining valuable legal skills and insights about the practice of law in real-world settings.

Each semester, our students extern with a wide range of organizations, including state and federal courts, government agencies, prosecutors’ and public defenders’ offices, non-profits, and private law firms.  These organizations provide meaningful, substantive assignments that help students become practice ready.

Externship students are supported by both a field supervisor and a law school professor.  Each work closely with students throughout the semester to further develop their lawyering skills, substantive legal knowledge, and professional identities. 

Whether an externship is used to explore an unfamiliar area of law or to gain additional experience in a chosen field, many of our students find their experience to be a highlight of their legal education.

Aja Robinson

One of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of my externship was the opportunity to engage in archival legal work as part of an ongoing investigation. My experiences not only deepened my understanding of the legal field but also reaffirmed my commitment to pursuing justice and advocating for fairness.

Dylan Kochan

This was one of the best hands-on learning experiences that I have had. Every assignment was interesting, I developed much more confidence in my research, writing, and editing skills, and I benefited greatly from “peering behind the curtain” of the judicial process.

Emma Herber

One of the most exciting parts of externing at the Muscarelle was how closely it connected to what I was learning in my classes. Every day, I could learn the doctrine in class and then see how copyright law actually plays out in museum policies and daily practice. It gave me a clearer picture of what a career as a transactional or in-house lawyer might look like, something you just can’t fully experience in the classroom.

Raahim Zaidi

At DOJ, I was entrusted with tasks that could have lasting impacts down the line. I presented directly to the Director of the Division, who even requested my research for future use. Though I primarily externed remotely, my field supervisor always made herself available to help me and she was motivated to make the office feel more like a community.