- Both clinics and externships offer valuable hands-on legal experience, but they differ in structure and setting.
- In a legal clinic, you work on real cases under the supervision of law school faculty—often representing clients directly with a student practice card. Clinics are in-house and operate as part of the law school’s curriculum.
- An externship takes place in an approved off-campus setting, such as a court, government agency, nonprofit, or in-house legal department. You are supervised by a licensed attorney or judge at the placement site and also participate in a companion academic course led by faculty.
- Both options help you build practical skills, but externships allow you to explore different practice areas and work environments outside the law school.
- Many students scaffold their experiential learning by combining simulation courses, clinics, and externships across multiple semesters. This approach allows you to build skills progressively, gain experience in diverse settings, and develop deeper expertise in a specific area of law, such as family law, criminal justice, or corporate law. It also helps you clarify your professional goals and become more practice-ready by graduation.