Gain Real-World Experience Under the Supervision of a Practicing Attorney
The Externship Program at Hofstra Law offers our students the opportunity to gain experience in a variety of legal fields under the direct supervision of experienced practitioners, while also attending a companion seminar taught by a faculty member which focuses on a range of professional lawyering skills designed to supplement the educational experience in the student’s field placement.
Academics
Externship Program
The Externship Program offers our students the opportunity to gain experience in a variety of legal fields under the direct supervision of experienced practitioners, while also attending a companion seminar taught by a faculty member which focuses on a range of professional lawyering skills designed to supplement the educational experience in the student’s field placement.
Specialized Externships
In addition to civil and criminal externship programs, we offer several specialized externship programs.
Clinical Prosecution Practicum
The Clinical Prosecution Practicum is a 6-credit program that places students in a local district attorney’s office, where they participate under a Student Practice Order in the prosecution of criminal cases under the close supervision of a faculty member, as well as an assistant district attorney.
Pro Bono Scholars Program
The Pro Bono Scholars Program is an initiative of former New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman that allows students to devote their last semester of law school to performing pro bono legal service for impoverished clients under the supervision of a licensed attorney. Pro Bono Scholars are granted permission to take the New York bar exam in February of their 3L year, before beginning their pro bono service. In addition to their pro bono work, Pro Bono Scholars attend a weekly seminar on Pro Bono Practice.
For more information, contact Luciana DeCarlo at lawexperientialprograms@hofstra.edu.
Information for Field Placement Supervisors
We appreciate the government agencies, law firms, corporate legal departments, and non-profit organizations that work with our students in the Externship Program. Regular training is provided to all field placement supervisors and the Office of Experiential Programs is available as a resource to support each supervisor’s work with our students. If you are interested in serving as a field placement supervisor, please contact Luciana DeCarlo at lawexperientialprograms@hofstra.edu to discuss the requirements and the field placement approval process.