The Legal Externship Program offers different specialty programs in which applications are solicited and students enroll in subject-specific, robust seminars that range from 1 to 3 credits. The seminars typically teach a mix of substantive law and skills relevant to the area of practice. These programs often have earlier deadlines than regular externships and may or may not be offered every semester/year– please review!
Child Advocacy
The goal of the Child Advocacy Program is to train law students on the underlying legal issues involving children, youth, and their families so that students are prepared to advocate on behalf of children in Colorado’s courts. It also aims to develop a robust and supportive community of students and supervising attorneys engaged in children’s legal work. It includes an externship and a 2-credit specialty seminar. The seminar focuses on the substantive law behind legal advocacy for children and youth. It primarily explores the fundamentals of dependency and neglect proceedings involving abused or neglected children but also exposes students to juvenile delinquency law, education law, immigration law, and other intersections of youth and the legal system.
Applications are due March 10, 2023 to externships@law.du.edu for the Fall 2023 program.
Lorenzo Márquez Diversity Internship Program
The Colorado Supreme Court and the Colorado Court of Appeals seek diverse* 2L, 3L, and part-time students from CU and DU as judicial externs for the Lorenzo Márquez Diversity Internship Program. Externs typically work ten (10) hours per week, but the court will coordinate your schedule with their supervising justice/judge, including receiving time off during exam periods and law school breaks. These are unpaid positions, but students will receive externship credit for their work in the field. Program details are available for students interested in participating in this externship.
Information session is via Zoom on February 14 at 12:00 p.m.; registration info will be sent via email. Fall 2023 applications are due March 6, 2023 to externships@law.du.edu. Please contact Alexi Freeman at afreeman@law.edu or externships@law.du.edu with questions.
*For purposes of this program, the courts define “diverse” students as those who are historically underrepresented in the legal profession (generally based on race, ethnicity, ability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, socio-economic status, and national origin).
Public Sector Pledge for Diverse Students
Students who identify as diverse should apply to the Public Sector Pledge Program co-sponsored by Judge Kristen L. Mix, the Legal Externship Program, and the Career Development and Opportunities Office. This program typically runs in the fall semester and includes placements and supervisors dedicated to the public good and to diversifying the legal profession. Placements typically include judicial chambers, prosecution offices, state and federal public defenders, state and federal government agencies, and nonprofits. Information session is via Zoom on February 17 at 12:00 p.m.; registration info will be sent via email. Fall 2022 applications are due March 7, 2022 to externships@law.du.edu. Include a general cover letter, resume, and a completed required cover sheet, which will be shared via email and will include the list of placements and allows you to choose preferences.
Semester in Practice
“The Semester in Practice really works…he is ready to take an associate’s job.”
The Semester in Practice (SiP) gives students the opportunity to develop practice skills by fulfilling 15 credits (12 fieldwork credits plus a 3-credit graded seminar). Students work full time during the externship (40 hours per week).
In this capstone experience, offered only to students in their last year of law school, students have significant exposure to the substantive law in their externship, and focus on skills and professional identity in their seminar. One of a handful of such programs in the country, the Semester in Practice is a bridge from law school to practice.
Each SiP is customized to the needs and desires of the student. Faculty meet with prospective students to help them find the externship that will provide significant development for them on their way to becoming practicing lawyers. Students in the past have participated in the SiP at a huge range of placements, both private and public. Supervisor information about Semester in Practice.
The Fall 2023 Semester in Practice application deadline is March 14, 2023 with priority registration of May 1, 2023. Students may be accepted to the Semester in Practice program after the deadlines if there is space available. See full timeline here. Please contact externships@law.du.edu.
Veterans Advocacy Project
The Veterans Advocacy Project, a collaboration between the Rocky Mountain Veterans Advocacy Project and the Sturm College of Law, offers a seminar and externship course in which students, together with professors and other attorneys, assist veterans with their VA Disability Benefit Compensation claims and Discharge Upgrades. Students will be simultaneously enrolled in the Military Law and Veterans Advocacy course for the Spring or Fall semesters, as well as 3 credit hours in the externship program.