Externship Program

Associate Dean Kelly Lynn Anders directs Washburn Law's Externship and Pro Bono Programs

Students participating in the Washburn Law Externship Program enhance their legal education through off-campus placements. Externships are all about learning through hands-on experience and assuming the role of a professional in training. You will handle real issues and work on real assignments while impacting the lives of the people involved. As an extern you are expected to conduct yourself as a professional, including being aware of professional responsibility and confidentiality issues. You can use your externship opportunity as a positive starting point for your legal career.

How To Enroll

Prior to enrollment, students will be required to complete and submit the following forms to Dean Anders: (1) Externship Plan and Enrollment Request (30 KB PDF; requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) and (2) Student Acknowledgement and Release (24 KB PDF; requires Adobe Acrobat Reader). For the fall and spring semesters, the deadline to secure an externship will be the Friday of the second week of the semester. The deadline for summer 2008 is April 25, 2008. "Secured" means that the externship has been selected and all paperwork has been completed so that the student is ready to begin work. For additional information, please see the Externship Guidelines.

Student Practice License

Some externships may require students to obtain a student practice license. To qualify for a student practice license in connection with an externship, in addition to the requirements of a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above and completion of at least 50 credit hours (including Professional Responsibility and Evidence), students also must also satisfactorily complete either Trial Advocacy or Pretrial Advocacy (Civil or Criminal) before applying for the license.

To begin the process to obtain your student practice license, your supervising attorney must request that you be certified in a letter addressed to the Dean. If you have questions regarding this process, or to obtain the forms, please contact Debi Schrock, Law Clinic Coordinator, at 670-1953 or debi.schrock [at] washburn.edu.

Externship Opportunities

A non-exclusive list of externship opportunities follows.