Information for Students

Benefits

• Externships provide a frame of reference for students’ studies at SMU Dedman Law, including what they learn in the classroom component of the program, and allow them to apply legal concepts in the real-world.
• Many of our students are interested in working in-house at some point in their careers. The program gives them a unique insight into what in-house practice is actually like.
• Corporate placements provide an opportunity to view the practice of law from the client’s perspective. A better understanding of client needs will make the students more effective legal advisors, whether they practice in firms or corporations.
• Students develop a better understanding of workplace issues, such as time management, workplace culture, professionalism, and giving and receiving feedback.
• Many externs report they gain confidence through the experience.

Student Requirements and Expectations

• Students work approximately 10 hours per week for a 12-week period. Placements start in late August and wrap up by Thanksgiving.
• Students submit weekly timesheets to their faculty supervisor.
• We and our students take seriously matters of professionalism, ethics, and integrity. Externs are expected to abide by the rules of professional conduct.

Our externship program synthesizes what our students have learned in their other classes with what they learn in the field and in the corporate counsel class. Stacy Phillips, who externed at Reddy Ice (the largest manufacturer of packaged ice products in the United States), described the program as the "icing on the cake" of her legal education because it allowed her to apply legal concepts she learned earlier in law school. "Property was my 'Achilles heel,'" she said. "I really didn't have a frame of reference for any of the topics covered. It all suddenly made sense after spending a substantial amount of time with various titles, title insurance policies, and land survey plats in my externship."