Externships
Externships are similar to internships, but are taken for academic credit and consist of an academic (e.g., class) component and a placement component. Placements can include law firms, judges’ chambers, government agencies, and corporate counsel, among others. Externs perform work at the placement that involves substantial lawyering experience under a qualified supervisor (e.g., a supervising attorney).
If you or your firm are looking for information on hosting an extern, we are always looking to build new partnerships, please email us at lawexp@wfu.edu.
Externship Offerings
All general externships consist of a virtual class which is paired with a placement of varying credit hours for a total of either 6, 10, or 13 credits. Students must work a minimum number of hours at the placement, and the number of hours depends on the credits received.
| Total Credits | Minimum Hours (excludes class) | Hours per Week (typical 14 work weeks) |
| 6 credit total (includes class) | 170 hours | 12 hours per week |
| 10 credit total (includes class) | 350 hours | 25 hours per week |
| 13 credit total (includes class) | 490 hours | 35 hours per week |
How to Apply *
*Contact the Director of Field Placements at lawexp@wfu.edu in advance of submitting an application.
Our litigation externship is an in-person, litigation-focused class paired with a litigation placement for a total of 6 credits. Because the class is in person, placements are geographically restricted to the area. Students are expected to work a minimum of 170 hours over the course of the externship (typically 12 hours per week for 15 weeks with one week off for a total of 14 work weeks).
Placements are litigation focused, either civil or criminal. Examples of past placements include the Forsyth County DA’s office, the Federal Public Defender’s office, private criminal defense firms, and civil litigation firms.
How to Apply *
*Contact the Director of Field Placements at lawexp@wfu.edu in advance of submitting an application.
This is a wonderful summer externship opportunity for students interested in clerkship. The DC Summer Judicial Externship operates slightly differently from our other externships. More information is available on the DCSJE webpage.
The General Summer Externship consists of a virtual class component and placement component for a total of 4 credits. This externship typically runs for 5 weeks coinciding with the start of the summer session. Students are expected to work a minimum of 170 hours (roughly 35 hours per week if working 5 weeks). The general summer externship is distinct from the DC Summer Judicial Externship. No geographic or substantive restrictions.
*Contact the Director of Field Placements at lawexp@wfu.edu in advance of application.