Externships – short-term positions with nonprofit organizations, government agencies or other organizations that are unpaid, credit-based and supported by a faculty member and supervising attorney – are apparently gaining popularity as a means to help recent law school graduates gain an edge in the job market and “stick out.”
The legal job market is shrinking and forcing law schools to rethink what will best prepare students for the changing face of the legal field. How can we, schools are asking themselves, better prepare students with hands-on legal experience prior to entering the job market? Externships are quickly becoming a new popular option, but the article admits they are only a small piece of the puzzle. Recent graduates are, in many cases, competing with seasoned attorneys for high profile internships, clerkships and even low level associate positions. Externships, while providing a potential “in” or stopgap solution, cannot change the new realities of a constantly changing legal job market. To read the full article, click here.