Pathways to Practice: The Law School Externship Program

Welcome to Pathways to Practice (“Pathways”), the NCCU School of Law’s Externship Program

Pathways to Practice is designed to advance traditional classroom learning by providing students with hands-on legal experiences through externships with practicing attorneys and judges. Students earn academic credit by completing an externship with one of our partner organizations for a set number of hours each semester, in addition to fulfilling course requirements in the Pathways class.

This externship program offers students the chance to immerse themselves in a specific area of law and “learn by doing” while simultaneously enhancing their understanding of professional responsibility through discussions on ethical and moral issues within legal practice.

Externship opportunities include placements at law firms, courts (both federal and state), government agencies, corporate legal departments, and other legal entities. Designated attorneys at these placements serve as supervisors, offering guidance, direction, and feedback as students complete substantive legal work.

The Pathways professor collaborates with supervising attorneys to teach students the essential skills and professional tools needed in law practice. The professor facilitates students' learning by leading class instruction, discussions, written reflections, simulations, assignments, and regular assessments to help them explore and process their externship experiences.

Through Pathways to Practice, students develop key lawyering skills such as:

• Legal analysis
• Research and writing
• Interviewing and client counseling
• Negotiation
• Policy-making
• Advocacy (both informal and formal)
• Professional identity development
• Cross-cultural competency, equity, and inclusion in the law

All externship placements must meet the following requirements: 

1. Externs must be engaged in substantive legal work. See the ABA standards for substantive legal work.
2. Externs must be supervised by a licensed attorney.
3. The position can be paid or unpaid.
4. Externs are required to work onsite in the same location as their supervising attorney for a minimum of 50% of their hours.
5. The supervising attorney must allow time for the extern to attend class as part of the externship program. The externship seminar is 1 hour per week for the semester (summer semesters included).
6. Remote externships are permitted only in very limited circumstances and must be approved by the Externship Office. 

Pathways to Practice offers two academic options:

• Pathways to Practice I: Students receive a letter grade upon completion of the externship and course requirements.
• Pathways to Practice II: Students receive a letter grade upon completion of the externship and course requirements along with the submission of
  • (1) a legally substantively publishable quality paper of at least 20 pages on a legal topic related to the externship placement or
  • (2) a work product created by the student during the externship amounting to at least 20 pages of substantively legal material, accompanied by a brief explanation of the work product’s purpose and the student’s research process. Note: Approved work products include in-depth memos or briefs containing legal analyses.
• Pathways to Practice II is only available to students who have completed Pathways to Practice I.

Students must also attend class meetings and complete course assignments in addition to the externship as part of Pathways to Practice.

• Class is a required component of the Pathways to Practice program.
• Students can receive from two (2) to five (5) academic credits (5 credits for summer only) for participating in an externship.
• Each credit hour taken requires that the student perform work for a minimum number of hours per semester at an approved placement site under the supervision of a qualified legal practitioner (see chart below).
• Students determine how many credits they will receive based on the number of fieldwork hours determined by their own schedules and the needs of their supervising attorney and placement agency. Field placement hours must be concurrent with the externship seminar.
• The following chart determines the number of hours required per the number of credits enrolled.

*Only available during the summer semester

• Externship hours are scheduled at times mutually convenient to the student and the supervisor. While most work is expected to be performed at the supervising attorney’s workplace, some work (e.g., research and writing) may be performed elsewhere subject to the supervising attorney’s approval.
• Remote placements are permitted on a very limited basis.
• Note: ABA rules do not prohibit law students from receiving compensation for work performed during an externship for which they receive academic credit.

Step 1: The student identifies an approved externship placement during the registration period prior to the semester of enrollment.

• Students must secure an internship before applying.
• Students can visit Career Services to seek support in finding placement. Students can also determine their own placement.

Step 2: Once a placement is identified, the student will provide the supervising attorney with the required forms to complete.

• Pathways to Practice Memorandum of Understanding and Duties form
• Supervising Attorney Certification form (if applicable)

Step 3: The Pathways professor will verify/approve placement and provide a confirmation email to the student and the placement attorney(s) informing them of successful enrollment.

• Students are not permitted to register for Pathways in Banner as other classes.

Step 4: Students must apply only through this application link.

• Students must upload all required documents to the online registration form. Do not email or provide hard copies of forms.

Step 5: Once the student applies through the online form, the Pathways professor will review the materials, approve placement, and then submit student names to the law school registrar for enrollment.

Pathways to Practice Application

Check out our past and present partner organizations.

Please reach out to the clinic at 919-530-7166 for any other questions.