College of Law > Academics > Experiential Learning > Externship Program > Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

​​​​General Note: Students should review the Externship Manual available on this website which will answer almost all of your questions and provide further detail.​​​

Standard Externship

Credit Hours Earned Minimum Number of Hours Worked During the Academic Semester Average Minimum Number of Hours per Week
2 90 7
3 135 10
4 180 13

Intensive Externship (3YP Program only)

Credit Hours Earned Minimum Number of Hours Worked During the Academic Semester Average Minimum Number of Hours per Week
5 225 16
6 270 19
7 315 23
8 360 26
9 405 29

No, students do not need the Externship Director’s approval to apply to an Externship posting. However, students are encouraged to contact the Externship Director for questions about the Externship Program.

After the student has been offered an Externship and wishes to receive academic credit for the Externship, he/she must apply by submitting the Externship Application available under Externship Forms on the Student Information page of the Externship website (click below).

Externship Student Information Page

First, please review the Externship Manual (click below) for an understanding of the Externship requirements. For a quick overview, you can also review the Externship Process and Registration Overview on the Student Information page of the Externship website (click below). Please note that students do not register themselves for the Externship program. Instead, the Externship Program will register the student once the student has been approved as set forth in the Overview and the Externship Manual.

The Externship Manual

Externship Program Student Information Page (Externship Process and Registration Overview)

  1. To qualify for an Externship, students must:
    1. Have completed twenty-eight (28) or more JD credit hours at the College of Law, which is the number of credit hours students complete in their first full-time year. There are no exceptions to this policy.
    2. Have at least a 2.00 GPA. However, as stated in the Student Handbook, rising 2L students with a GPA at or below 2.20 cannot register for summer courses.
    3. Be in good academic standing.

  2. LLM students at DePaul can participate in the Externship Program after the completion of their first semester of enrollment. LLM students should verify with the program director that the externship will count toward their degree requirements.

  3. MLS students are not permitted to enroll in externships. For more information, please visit the MLS FAQs page.

Students should apply for an Externship early enough prior to the beginning of the semester to enable the Externship Program to review the student’s application, vet the Externship Site, and execute an Affiliation Agreement with the Externship Site. 

 
Students should review the Experiential Learning Calendar for information on the Externship timeline and deadlines.

Externships are available for the following credit hours: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. The Externship Program manages Standard Externships for 2, 3, and 4 credit hours and the Third Year in Practice Program (3YP) manages Intensive Externships for 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 credit hours. A student may only participate in an Intensive Externship if they have been accepted into 3YP. 


Students can participate in the Externship Program either by applying to: (i) the Externship Program for a Standard Externship as set forth in the Externship Manual; or (ii) (3YP) for an Intensive Externship. More information on 3YP is available here.

No, students are not required to complete Externships as a condition of graduation. Please note that students are required to complete a minimum number of experiential learning credits as a condition of graduation and Externships count toward those experiential learning credits. Externships are a valuable means of learning a new practice area, gaining work experience and building the best possible resume. Students are encouraged to find an Externship that best fits the students' background and practice interests.

Yes, students can work an an Externship out of state. Please note, however, that students are limited in the number of distance education credits they can take. Please see the Student Handbook (click below) and the law school Academic Advisor for more information.

Student Handbook

Academic Advisor

Students may receive both compensation and course credit for an Externship. However, subject to the requirements of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, for-profit firms are not required to pay students as a condition of an Externship. We strongly encourage our for-profit Externship Sites to compensate our students for their hard work and contribution to the Externship Site’s work. 

 
Except as otherwise detailed below, Externship Sites cannot bill client(s) for the Extern’s work on client matters or for its time spent supervising the student. However, if an Externship Site is compensating the Extern in accordance with all applicable wage and hour rules, the Extern may work on client matters and the Externship Site may bill its client(s) for such work as deemed appropriate by the Externship Site.

Students may not complete more than three (3) Externships for credit (a maximum of 2 during the Fall and Spring semesters). If a student elects to complete three (3) Externships, one of those Externships must take place during the summer. For example, an eligible student may enroll in the Externship Program during Fall and Spring semester of their 2L year, but may not take an Externship during the Fall or Spring semester of their 3L year; the only additional Externship can occur during the Summer term.

Students can work at the same Externship Site during subsequent semesters. However, students may not complete more than three (3) Externships for credit during their time at the College of Law (a maximum of 2 during the fall and spring semesters). If a student elects to complete three (3) Externships, one of those Externships must take place during the summer. For example, an eligible student may enroll in the Externship Program during fall and spring semester of their 2L year, but may not take an Externship during the fall or spring semester of their 3L year. The only additional Externship can occur during the summer term.

Yes, students must take the Externship Seminar during every semester of an Externship. If the Externship Seminar conflicts with another class, the student must choose between the Externship and the conflicting class.

Students are not permitted to retroactively receive Externship credit for work completed in a prior semester or for work that was completed prior to being enrolled in the Externship Program. If a student is not: (i) approved for the Externship Program; (ii) enrolled in the Externship courses, and (iii) approved to work with an approved Externship Site that has executed an Affiliation Agreement prior to the first day of classes, the student will not be able to receive Externship academic credit.

If students have a job or volunteer position in addition to their Externship in the same semester, the student must inform the Externship Site and the Externship Program prior to commencement of the Externship so that the Externship Site and the Externship Program can be aware of any potential ethical conflicts. If there are potential conflicts, the student, the Externship Director and the Externship Site may be able to resolve the conflict, but students should be aware that the student may not be permitted to do both.

Yes, students are permitted to enroll in an Externship and a law school clinic during the same semester.

Yes, Externships are considered non-classroom credits. With the exception of students enrolled in 3YP, the law school caps the credit hours a JD student can earn for non-classroom courses. For information on the policy governing maximum non-classroom credit hours, please see the Student Handbook available on the Student Affairs webpage. Students are encouraged to meet with the law school Academic Advisor to review the student’s current and anticipated accumulation of non-classroom hours.

Externship Site positions are posted on the Externship website (click below). Please note that many Externship Site positions have firm application deadlines so please review the listings carefully. You are also encouraged to meet with the Externship Director to discuss your career interests to help determine which Externship opportunities might be a good fit for your career goals.

Externship Position Listings

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