Group #1 Pedagogy - Externships & Simulations
• Been There, Done That: An Empirical Examination of the Benefits and Drawbacks of Repeat Legal Externships at the Same Placement
Carolyn Young Larmore, Chapman University Dale E. Fowler School of Law
Law schools offer externships to give students real-world experience that can’t be taught in the classroom. We encourage field supervisors to give students a variety of assignments of an increasingly challenging nature. And our students perform well, practicing important legal skills and impressing their supervisors. So, what happens when the student has such a good learning experience that they are asked to stay on another semester? Is there more to be learned, or other benefits to be had, from another four months of fieldwork at the same placement? Or should law school faculty require students to find a new experience to expand their legal horizons? This article takes an empirical approach to answer these questions. The author undertook three surveys – of externship faculty, field supervisors, and students – as well as a review of semester-end student self-evaluations, to shed light on the pros and cons of allowing students to repeat a legal externship with the same placement.
• The Case of the Lunch & Learn Lapse: Materials for a Complex Internal Investigation Simulation
Danielle Pelfrey Duryea, Boston University School of Law
This is an 8-week internal investigation simulation based on an anonymous whistleblower report of improper drug promotion in a fictional pharmaceutical company. In teams of two or three, students interview the client’s lead compliance lawyer; design an investigation plan; pursue an interview with the anonymous reporter; request and review company policies, procedures, and other records; develop email searches and review results; conduct live interviews with three witnesses; and present their findings in a client counseling session with the company’s general counsel.