Information for New Sites

The success of field placement programs depends on the willingness and ability of the on-site supervising attorneys to serve as available role models and mentors. The site supervisor agrees to meet the following standards:

Experience: Externship Site Supervisors must have at least three years of practice experience.
 
Orientation: On the student’s first day on site the site supervisor should provide a basic orientation covering work space, office protocols, resources, and policies of the agency or organization.
 
Assignments: The site supervisor is responsible for ensuring that:
· The student’s assignments are part of the site’s regular workload and give the student some in-depth exposure to issues qpertinent to the site’s activities.
· The student’s assignments are as varied as the site’s workload and the student’s abilities reasonably allow.
· The student is included in discussions of strategy and implementation that arise out of research, writing or other work in which the student has played a significant part, whenever reasonably feasible.
· The student is permitted to observe a sampling of matters that are routinely handled by the organization, but which are beyond the scope of the student’s capabilities.
· The student’s assignments are reasonable in terms of the student’s credit hour commitment to work for the agency or organization. 
· Menial tasks (filing, library updating, photocopying, running errands, etc.) will occupy a minimal percentage of the student extern’s workload.
 
Regular Contact and Supervision: The Extern Site Supervisor should have regular contact with the student extern throughout the course of the semester, including the following, which are explained in greater detail in the Site Supervisor Handbook.
 
·      Developing Learning Outcomes and Work Plan
·      Weekly Meetings & Feedback
·      Midterm and Final Evaluation
 
Site supervisors acknowledge that this is an educational experience primarily for the benefit of the extern; that the extern does not displace or substitute for any employees, and that other than reimbursement for incidental expenses, externs may not be compensated for their work.
 
Equal Employment Policy: The UNC School of Law is committed to providing its students and graduates with equal opportunity to obtain employment, including externships, without discrimination on the basis of an individual’s race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, genetic information, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. The site agrees to comply with this anti-discrimination policy.

Student agrees to perform an agreed upon number of hours of work over the course of the semester for the externship placement. Externs may not finish work at their site earlier than one week prior to the end of the semester without faculty and site supervisor approval.
 
All externs are required to participate in the classroom component of the externship program and to attend individual conferences with the faculty supervisor.
 
All externs will honor the confidentiality requirements of the placement site and those imposed by the applicable rules of professional responsibility.
 
Externs may not receive compensation other than reimbursement for incidental expenses.
 
All externs are required to prepare and submit reflective journal entries on established due dates as outlined in the syllabus. These journal entries may ask the extern to respond to specific questions posed by their UNC Externship Faculty Supervisor. Externs are also required to keep a weekly timesheet documenting their time on site, and to submit their updated timesheet to their site each week.
 
Some externships call for specific prerequisite courses or other requirements, as detailed in the placement descriptions or by the Externship staff. Failure to fulfill placement prerequisites and requirements may result in loss of placement.
 
No student may withdraw from an ongoing externship absent extenuating circumstances and only after consultation with an externship faculty supervisor. Adequate safeguards for the handling of cases and/or client problems assigned to the student must be arranged with the UNC Externship Faculty Supervisor and the supervising attorney at the placement site prior to any withdrawal.
 
Externs placed at sites requiring certification shall provide a copy of the certification letter from the NC Bar prior to beginning work on site.

Academic Requirements:  The Faculty Supervisor will establish requirements (including readings, reflective papers or journals, and/or other assignments) designed to develop the extern’s experience in their placement, including reflection, self-evaluation and professional development.
 
Site Evaluation:  The Faculty Supervisor will remain in regular contact, including possible visits, with the externship site and the extern to ensure the quality of the educational experience.
 
Training and Availability:  The Faculty Supervisor will be available as a resource should any concerns or issues arise; and will provide training to site supervisors as needed.
 
Evaluation:  The Faculty Supervisor will evaluate the extern’s academic performance during the externship. The assessment will be based on the extern and supervisor evaluations, timely compliance with requirements, the quality of the self-reflection, and professionalism. Based on this evaluation, the Faculty Supervisor will determine whether credit should be granted.