In order to receive academic credit, student-externs must fulfill the specific requirements described in the Course Handbook. The course handbook is on the right side of this page for your review. Please note that one handbook is labeled “Summer 2018” and the other is labeled “Fall 2018.” As the course requirements are different, please make sure you are selecting the correct handbook. Following is an abbreviated summary of the Field Placement Program requirements. Students must:
- Attend a mandatory orientation meeting.
- Complete either 120 hours of fieldwork for 2 class credits or 180 hours of fieldwork for 3 class credits. New for Fall of 2018 and beyond, students may complete 240 hours of fieldwork for 4 class credits.
- Turn in two progress reports.
- Maintain a ‘daily log’ of hours worked and submit the logs weekly.
- Meet with an assigned faculty mentor at least three times during the summer of 2018.
- For Fall of 2018 and beyond, all students who enroll in a 2, 3, or 4 credit field placement must concurrently enroll in a new 1 credit externship companion class called the Field Placement Seminar
- Turn in a final report and supplement at the conclusion of the externship.
Information on available placements are posted on Vincent. Additionally, there is information outside of the Field Placement Office (944 O’Malley) and, you can speak to the Field Placement Program Director. All placements are approved on a case-by-case basis. Students apply on their own to their desired agency, as they would in order to obtain regular employment. For examples of prior DePaul law student placements, please see a list of all placements since fall 2011.
How to Apply and be Registered for Field Placement Credits
After students have been offered an externship, they must turn in a resume, a letter of intent, and an unofficial transcript to the Field Placement Program Director, in order to get registered for the Field Placement course and receive class credit. The Course Handbook provides guidance on how to do so, and includes a sample letter of intent on page 9. Please note that the final day for field placement applications for the summer semester of 2018 must be received via e-mail by 4:00 pm on June 1, 2018. Students are encouraged to apply much earlier in case there are any issues with their application or placement site. No applications will be accepted after this date. Once a student's application has been received, the Field Placement Program Director will notify the student if they have been approved for the course. If a student is approved, the Director will confirm that student has room in their class schedule for the Field Placement course, and will then process the student's registration.
A special note about placements that have not been previously approved for field placement:
Many students ask whether they can receive field placement credits for work at a private law firm or other placement site that is not currently on the list of approved placements. If the student would like their firm to be considered for approval, then an attorney for the firm must complete this questionnaire and return it to the Field Placement Director, and it will be vetted in the order it was received. Please see the special requirements for for-profit placements here. Additionally, the vetting process may take time, particularly if it is near the field placement registration deadline as many students are making similar requests. To ensure that you are able to register for field placement, it is highly recommended that you do not delay in starting this process.