We are very grateful for your interest in hosting one of our students through a J.D. Externship course.

Please use this online Site Description Form link to submit your information. Alternatively, you may download and submit a Site Description Form as a .doc using the form linked on the side menu of this page. Once we receive your Site Description, J.D. Externship faculty will contact you to discuss the experience you have to offer one or more of our students.

We have high expectations of and for our student externs, and we seek to match them with legal professionals who can offer the highest quality opportunity available during a 15-week semester.

Supervising attorneys, qualified J.D.s, and judges take our students "under their wing" because they have a commitment to providing them with practical, hands-on legal education, and because they appreciate the benefits a fresh and inquiring mind can bring to their work. They directly supervise students to ensure the quality of their educational experience during a 15-week semester, and are expected to provide opportunities for students to observe and participate in all aspects of their work.

Student externs are enrolled in an academic course for credit toward their law degrees. That course work requires various meetings with and input from the designated supervisor at the externship site. Course components include:

• Working with the student at the beginning of the semester to craft realistic educational goals in light of the anticipated work of the semester;
• Meeting during the 5th and 10th weeks to review the student’s narrative self-evaluation, and discuss progress toward meeting the student’s goals;
• Meeting with faculty for an in-person site visit in the first half of the semester, and communicating with faculty about the externship during the semester; and
• Preparing a final evaluation and meeting with the student during the final (15th) week of the semester.

Regular feedback, guidance, and support are essential hallmarks of high quality supervision of emerging legal professionals.

We hope the FAQ document available through the link on this page is helpful, but we are happy to answer any additional questions you may have. Feel free to contact us by email, jdexternships@vermontlaw.edu or by phone, 802.831.1156.

Thank you again for your interest.