Students will be awarded 2 credits, Pass/D/Fail, provided the following requirements are fulfilled:

1. Under current ABA and Law School requirements, students are fully eligible to receive academic credit for participation in an externship program after successful completion of 28 credits towards their JD program. Students who have successfully completed their first year of law school, but have not yet completed 28 credits of study, may still be eligible to receive academic credit for an externship, but this decision must be made on an individual basis by the Faculty Director. Specifically, ABA Standard 305(e)(6) requires that to receive academic credit for an externship, a student must have “successfully completed sufficient educational prerequisites or contemporaneously receive sufficient training to assure the quality of the student educational experience” in the externship program.
2. There is no minimum cumulative GPA requirement for students enrolling for externships during the summer. However, there is a 2.33 minimum cumulative GPA requirement for students enrolling for most externships during either the Fall or Spring semesters. In some instances, a higher cumulative GPA may be required for some externships. Please refer to the Externship Guide on the Symplicity System. In addition, the number of credits that can be earned for externships has been raised from a max of 4 to a max of 8. However, please be aware that externship credits are included in the 15 credit limit for Legal Practice and Self-Directed Work credits which can be applied towards graduation requirements. Therefore, if you are interested in participating in a clinic, you should be careful not to overextend on externship credits. Also, please keep in mind for planning purposes that an externship and a clinic cannot be taken in the same semester.
3. Students must attend a mandatory Externship Orientation and the mid-semester Externship meeting.
4. A minimum of 150 hours of work performed on-site at your placement. You must keep your own time records using weekly timesheets to be signed by your supervising attorney. If you are not provided one at your externship, use this timesheet.
5. A minimum of 20 pages of written work from the field placement. Written work must reflect substantial legal analysis and be comparable to the work of a first-year associate. This should be substantially your own work and may consist of a portfolio of numerous shorter writings. Note that this is in addition to the required reflection paper. All written work product must be redacted prior to submitting it to the Externship Administrator.
6. Reflection on the externship experience will occur through a required total of 10 pages of written reflection, completed by the end of the semester. You should keep a journal or use the comments section on your weekly timesheets to record your progress. This will prove extremely useful when writing your reflection paper. Click here for some suggested topics to cover in your paper. Note that this paper will be taken into account in assigning your grade. It is separate from your evaluation of the experience.
7. Timely submission and satisfactory completion of the Student Evaluation Form.
8. You must give your supervising attorney the written Placement Supervisor Evaluation Form at the end of the externship. Your supervising attorney must send the form directly to the Externship Administrator.

Note: Both the Externship at the European Court of Justice and the DC Health Law Externship consist of more than 2 Credits

Eligible Judges:

Under current faculty guidelines, students may serve their externship with:

1. Any U.S. District Court Judge.

2. Any U.S. Court of Appeals Judge.

3. Any U.S. Bankruptcy Judge.

4. Any U.S. Magistrate Judge.

5. Any Judge of a state’s highest or appellate court.

6. Any New Jersey Superior Court Judge assigned to the Appellate Division, the Law Division, Civil or Criminal Part, or the Chancery Division, General Equity or Family Part.

Externships for academic credit have not been approved with:

1. New Jersey Superior Court Judges who are assigned to the Superior Court, Law Division, Special Civil Part.

2. Trial level Judges in states other than New Jersey, unless approved by the Faculty Director.

3. U.S. or State Administrative Law Judges

Course Requirements:During the semester in which a student registers for the judicial externship program, the student must devote a minimum of 150 hours to chambers-related duties. In addition, students must complete a minimum of 30 pages of written work product involving legal research during their externship. A mandatory class conducted by the Faculty Director, Professor Denis McLaughlin, is held at the beginning of the semester and an evaluative conference is held with the Director at the end of the semester. At the evaluative conference, the student must produce a letter from the judge verifying completion of the course requirements to the judge's satisfaction, the student's 30 pages of work product, a signed time sheet, and a completed course evaluation form. Upon satisfactory completion of the evaluative conference, a grade of pass and two credits are awarded. A student may serve a maximum of two judicial externships for credit. The second externship must be with a different judge. For additional information on the Judicial Externship Program and its requirements, please click here.

The course is graded on a Pass/D or Fail basis.

Prerequisites: All students seeking to enroll must have a minimum 2.33 cumulative grade point average at the time they register for the program. However, there is no minimum GPA requirement for students enrolling for the Judicial Externship Program during the semester. Judicial externs work with a judge and the judge’s law clerks on a host of research projects, write memoranda, draft opinions and observe the daily proceedings brought before the court.

NOTE: Eight credit maximum for all externships.