For other experiential learning opportunities go to the Blakely Advocacy Institute or the Legal Clinics
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1. Students can earn academic credit for work with a nonprofit organization, government agency, or member of the judiciary.
2. Students may receive a three or four clinical credit hours for a single placement during the fall or spring semester, or if working at a single placement for an entire summer. Students choosing to work at a placement during an abbreviated summer session, (i.e., one-half of the summer), may receive either two or three clinical credits for that in/externship.
3. To receive academic credit, a student must have completed his first year law courses and have a minimum 2.33 GPA (i.e., be in good academic standing).
4. Regarding Externships: A student is not permitted to receive academic credit for working for a field placement for which the student has worked previously, whether that work was for credit, for pay, or on a volunteer basis.
5. Regarding Judicial Externships : A student is not permitted to receive academic credit for working for a judge for whom the student has worked previously, whether that work was for credit, for pay, or on a volunteer basis.
6. Students cannot receive credit for participation in a placement for which they receive compensation. This policy includes fellowships. Therefore, if a student receives a fellowship, stipend (in most cases), scholarship, etc., he/she cannot receive academic credit as well.
7. Students must be engaged in legal work (as opposed to administrative work or work that’s non-legal in nature) at the placement, and students must be supervised by an attorney who’s been licensed for at least three years.
Note to judicial interns: law clerks and other attorneys with less experience may supervise you as long as you have the opportunity to receive final approval and feedback on your work from the judge. Court coordinators and other non-lawyers should not be supervising a student’s work.
8. If a student is interested in a placement that’s not listed on the clinic website (at http://www.law.uh.edu/clinic), he/she should see Prof. Bonadero to determine whether the placement meets the criteria for credit. (Most judge’s chambers higher than the Justice of the Peace office and most government agencies generally meet the criteria; however, all placements are subject to Prof. Bonadero’s approval. It’s especially important to check with Prof. Bonadero concerning nonprofits.
9. The externship and judicial internship clinical courses fall within the non-substantive-hour cap, which is 12 hours.
10. If a student does not seek/receive an ex/internship in the summer, he/she should consider doing one in the fall and/or spring semesters. Many judges and other placements take in/externs year-round, and the positions in fall and spring are less competitive than they are in the summer.
11. Students must pay tuition to receive credit for participation in the In/Externship Clinics/Courses. If you'll need financial aid, note that you must take at least SIX credit hours over the summer in order to be eligible for it. If your in/externship won't get you to six credits, then you'll need to take an additional course. There are a number of two- and three-credit evening courses available during each of the two abbreviated summer sessions.
Questions: Please email Bill Powers, Director of Internship & Externship Programs, for more information about the Programs.
