Hi everyone! I hope you are enjoying your summer before 1L year! I wanted to take the time to explain the benefits of internships and externships.

I am sure most of you know what an internship is as you, friends, or family members have done one. One term I did not know before law school was what an externship meant. Externships are the same as internships but instead of just getting experience you also will get academic credit for the hours you complete. All students need to complete at least six credits of externship before graduation.

Now that you know what an externship means I can explain the benefits of both internships and externships. After my 1L year, I decided to do a summer internship with a local judge. An internship was a great experience after 1L year because it showed me what an average day was like for a judicial clerk.

Then throughout my 2L year, I did two different types of experiences. Some school classes can count as externship credits, and I took one of those classes. Throughout the class, I worked with a township to create an ordinance that would be submitted for consideration by the city council and that project was also my final. Then I also did an externship with the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office to get in-court experience. As you can see, I have jumped around from internship or externship and that is where the benefit comes in.

Internships and Externships are meant to expose you to different areas of law to help you decide what area of law you truly want to work in after graduation. On the other side of the coin, if you find one placement you love then you can start a path that hopefully leads to a job after being there throughout law school. Both types of placements have enriched my legal education immensely as I learned concepts that are not taught in the classroom. The most beneficial concept I have learned is the importance of soft skills and networking. 

They will explain throughout 1L year how you apply for internships and externships. At school, there is a great team of faculty that help students find internships and externships. The school has a program called CORE where internships and externships are posted every semester to help students find them. Some of the placements on CORE even come to campus to do interviews. Internships and externships have been one of the most beneficial experiences of my legal education!

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your summer! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to any of the Student Ambassadors through our emails or even in the Facebook group! See you all soon!!!

• Internships