externships

At The University of Baltimore, we provide knowledge that works. Get real-world career preparation and the hands-on experience employers demand at a fraction of the cost of other universities. Pick courses that fit your schedule and create an education tailored to your vision and needs. Welcome to UBalt!

Develop a mentoring relationship with a judge and learn how courts really work.

Get to know the legal system from the inside while developing a mentorship relationship with a judge. A judicial externship is an unforgettable and invaluable opportunity for an aspiring attorney to learn about judicial decision-making and hone their writing skills. Students extern with judges at the state, federal, and administrative courts. Judicial externships are especially valuable to students who are considering a post-graduate judicial clerkship.

  • A Judicial Externship is an experiential learning course where students receive academic credit for legal work completed under the supervision of a judge and/or judicial law clerk at an approved field placement.
  • Placements may include state or federal court judges or administrative law adjudicators at various state and federal agencies.
  • The course is a total of 3 credits which includes both the fieldwork and the weekly seminar.
  • Students must complete at least 130 hours in the field placement and are encouraged to spread their hours evenly over the semester. Students must work at least 10 weeks during the academic year.
  • The seminar will include students at a mix of judicial placements and is generally taught by a judge.
  • After you have completed 28 credits towards your JD degree (1L curriculum)
  • The concurrent weekly seminar and writing requirements are required to receive academic credit.
  • The Judicial Externship course is offered in the Fall and Spring semesters. Judicial externships are NOT offered in the summer.
  • Generally there is one evening section offered during the academic year.
  • All students in the J.D. program must complete at least 6 credits of experiential learning before they graduate.
  • A Judicial Externship counts towards the 6 credit experiential learning requirement but it does NOT fulfill the 3 credit live-client requirement. The live-client requirement can only be fulfilled through an externship with an attorney or a clinic.
  • You must find your own placement and apply directly to the judge or agency.
  • You can look on UB Law Connect for posted opportunities, or you can find your own placement.
  • Please make an appointment with a Law Career Development Office counselor or Prof. Lall, Director of Externships, for additional guidance in finding a placement.
  • Placements may be paid or unpaid. Paid externships are subject to a separate approval process.
  • You may extern for a current or former employer if you submit an Educational Plan and the Director of Externships approves the placement as a substantively new learning experience
  • Students must engage in substantive legal work and must produce at least 10 cumulative pages of original written work product in the placement.
  • Students may be directly supervised by the Judge, or in some cases, by their judicial law clerk.
  • There are limitations on externing with a Judge or Judicial law clerk to whom you are related.
  • Externships may be fully in-person, fully remote, or a hybrid of in-person and remote work
  • Remote placements require a structured schedule with regular work hours that overlap with the supervisor’s work schedule. Students may not complete remote externship hours while they are in class or working at another job. 
  • Externships must be submitted for approval on UB Law Connect..
  • Unpaid externships must be submitted for approval at least 1 week before classes begin.