Pillars or Walls? Reimagining Externships to Foster Student-Centeredness and Empowerment

Go Back

Session Type: Concurrent Sessions

Session Capacity: N/A

Location: Marriott St. Louis Grand

Room: Majestic B

Floor: Second Floor, Conference Plaza

Three traditional pillars of externship pedagogy have included prohibitions on (1) Paid Placements, (2) Continuing Placements, (3) Students Externing for a Current/Former Employer. These restrictions have been increasingly challenged by students and questioned by law schools. Recognizing that every law school is unique, participants will self-reflect on the central goals of their own programs and consider ways their own externship programs structure might create barriers to student opportunity and self-development. The presenters and participants will share some of the innovations they have implemented in their own programs to reconceive what externships can look like and explore how innovation may enable students to develop the skills they need in a shifting legal landscape. This session engages in self-critique of externship program pedagogy and explores ways that law schools may be stifling student opportunity and growth. Participants will be encouraged to question traditional policies and break down barriers that may prevent students from accessing a full range of beneficial experiential opportunities. We will explore ways in which we as educators can be more supportive of our students and their needs.