Fall 2024 Class Descriptions: Clinics and Externships
Agency Externship I (LWVL596)
Instructor(s): Kimberly Gosling
1-6 credit(s), P/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): Children's Rights (JD), Civil Litigation (JD), Criminal Litigation (JD), Employment and Labor Law (JD), Environmental and Energy Law (JD), Health Law (JD), Public Interest Law (JD), Employment and Labor Law (LLMG), Environmental and Energy Law (LLMG)
The Agency Externship Program provides students the opportunity to gain valuable clinical legal experience for academic credit with a government agency or non-profit organization during the fall, spring or summer semesters. (The Agency Externship program only applies to government and nonprofit law office work, and does not allow students to receive academic credit for working in a private law firm). Students may enroll in the Agency Externship Course for 1 - 6 units of credit and must work during the academic session for a minimum of 50 hours per credit). For purposes of working at the externship placement, the academic session is from the official start of classes to the last day of final exams. Any externship placement work outside this time period may be counted towards pro bono hours, but not academic credit, provided the student is not receiving compensation for those hours.
Academic requirements include: mandatory orientation, student journals submitted to the professor relating to field placement work; discussion boards on legal practice topics; a three-five page reflective paper at the end of the semester; an externship work product for professor review; and on-site supervisor evaluation showing satisfactory completion of work experience. The externship is graded on a Pass-Fail basis. To review all the pertinent course resources, including course information, forms, and helpful internet links, please see the course syllabus.
If you have been offered and have accepted a field placement, meet the eligibility requirements, agree to meet the course obligations and want to register for the Externship course, fill out the Field Placement Form here. After you submit the form, the Office of Career and Professional Development will review it and send you an email with directions on how to enroll.
If you have any placements questions, read the FAQ's available at that link. If the FAQ's do not answer your field placement questions, contact the Office of Career and Professional Development at lawcareers@sandiego.edu.
Note:
There are limitations on JD concentration eligibility. Please check the concentration web pages for more information. Contact the supervising professor (with a cc to Law Student Affairs) on whether your externship placement qualifies for Concentration consideration and, if so, for how many credits.
Additional Information: Handbook
Agency Externship II (LWVL590)
Instructor(s): Kimberly Gosling
1-6 credit(s), P/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): Children's Rights (JD), Civil Litigation (JD), Criminal Litigation (JD), Employment and Labor Law (JD), Environmental and Energy Law (JD), Health Law (JD), Public Interest Law (JD)
Externship II students refine their skills, with a longer opportunity to specialize their training in a specific area. Externship II is limited to students who have previously worked at an Agency Externship placement. Please refer to Agency Externship I description for additional requirements. To review all the pertinent course resources, including course information, forms, and helpful internet links, please see the course syllabus.
Contact lawcareers@sandiego.edu with placement questions. Note: There are limitations on JD concentration eligibility. Please check the concentration web pages for more information. Contact Law Student Affairs to find out if your Agency Externship qualifies for a concentration.
Note:
There are limitations on JD concentration eligibility. Please check the concentration web pages for more information. Contact the supervising professor (with a cc to Law Student Affairs) on whether your externship placement qualifies for Concentration consideration and, if so, for how many credits.
Additional Information: Handbook
Appellate Clinic I (LWVL501)
Instructor(s): Michael Devitt, David Schlesinger
2 credit(s), H/P/L/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): Civil Litigation (JD)
Prerequisite(s): Civil Procedure, Evidence or concurrent enrollment, Professional Responsibility or concurrently, Crim Pro I or concurrent enrollment
The Appellate Clinic is a semester-long clinic opportunity in which teams of students will enjoy the hands-on experience of litigating from start to finish an appeal before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. During the fall semester, students will write an opening brief. Students who choose to continue take appellate clinic II in the spring semester students will write a reply brief and participate in oral argument. Additional periodic classroom sessions held throughout the academic year will focus upon appellate procedure and persuasive written and oral advocacy. From time to time, class sessions will feature guest speakers such as judges and local practicing attorneys. The Appellate Clinic is open only to third and fourth year law students; and students must have completed or take concurrently with the Appellate Clinic the following courses: Civil Procedure, Evidence, Professional Responsibility, and Criminal Procedure.
Note: There are limitations on JD concentration eligibility. Please check the Civil Litigation Concentration web page for more information.
Additional Information: Civil Litigation Concentration
Appellate Clinic II (LWVL509)
Instructor(s): Michael Devitt, David Schlesinger
2 credit(s), H/P/L/F Graded
Requirement(s): Experiential
Concentration(s): Civil Litigation (JD)
Prerequisite(s): Civil Procedure, Evidence or concurrent enrollment, Professional Responsibility or concurrently, Crim Pro I or concurrent enrollment
The Appellate Clinic is a semester-long clinic opportunity in which teams of students will enjoy the hands-on experience of litigating from start to finish an appeal before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. During the fall semester, students will write an opening brief. Students who choose to continue take appellate clinic II in the spring semester students will write a reply brief and participate in oral argument. Additional periodic classroom sessions held throughout the academic year will focus upon appellate procedure and persuasive written and oral advocacy. From time to time, class sessions will feature guest speakers such as judges and local practicing attorneys. The Appellate Clinic is open only to third and fourth year law students; and students must have completed or take concurrently with the Appellate Clinic the following courses: Civil Procedure, Evidence, Professional Responsibility, and Criminal Procedure.
Note: There are limitations on JD concentration eligibility. Please check the Civil Litigation Concentration web page for more information.
Additional Information: Civil Litigation Concentration