Three and six credit externships are offered in both the fall and spring semesters. Enrollment in either fall or spring semester requires participation in the clinic/externship lottery in February of the preceding year. While there are no mandatory course requirements for enrolling in the three- or six-credit Externship Program, individual externship placement sites may specify prerequisites, including GPA, specific classes, and/or the ability to be certified to practice under the North Carolina Bar Student Practice Rules.
Once accepted into the Externship Program, students apply to participating externship partner sites. Externs work under the direct supervision of the on-site externship partner supervisor. Each extern is also assigned a faculty supervisor who guides and facilitates the academic portion of their externship experience through tutorials, journal writing, and class discussion. Students extern on-site approximately 10 hours each week during the semester for three credits, and approximately 20 hours each week for six credits. Our site partners include judges at federal and state levels and experienced attorneys from government agencies, public interest groups and corporate counsel offices, such as:
- Fourth Circuit, federal magistrates, and bankruptcy courts
- NC Supreme Court and NC Court of Appeals
- DA and PD Offices throughout the Triangle
- NC DOJ Attorney General’s Offices
- UNC Hospitals
- NASCAR
- Aston Martin
- Southern Environmental Law Center
- Legal Aid
- ACLU
Students do not set up their own externship. With UNC Law partner sites ranging from judges to legal aid to corporate counsel to criminal trial work, there is something for every legal interest. The program offers 55 placements in both the fall and spring semesters. Third-year law students have enrollment preference through the clinic/externship lottery. When space is available, a small number of 2L students may be able to enroll in the program from the clinic/externship lottery waitlist. Students may participate in up to 18 hours of Externship credits.