COVID required all of us to quickly pivot to fully remote externships. This posed many challenges but the presenters found VIRTUAL SITE VISITS to be an unexpected benefit.
Professor Keri Gould (Washington and Lee School of Law) will discuss her approach to using the remote site visit as a vehicle for students to learn how to prepare a remote meeting (including creating a timeline, agenda and technological expertise), how to critically reflect upon their work accomplishments, goals attainment and supervisory structure, and how to facilitate the conversation between extern, professor and supervising attorney(s). This is a graded component of the externship seminar.
Professor Nicole Lehtman (Director, UCDC Law Program) will discuss how going virtual has dramatically improved site visits through increasing efficiency (saving travel time to placements, easier scheduling of visits, increased investment by supervisors, and a less hierarchical feel to the visits that increases student comfort and participation). Her new format engages students to lead part of the visit, and increases input through the use of shared screens and multiple attorneys joining the conversation.
Participants will be asked to answer a short survey prior to the presentations. The survey will serve to focus the discussion on the goals and methods used by the participants and their thoughts on virtual site visits now and in the future. Discussions will highlight the viability of different models with consideration of programmatic size (students, placements, professors) and design of corresponding seminars among other program similarities and differences.