Students wishing to pursue an externship program away from Nashville must submit a proposal to do so, endorsed by a full-time faculty member, to the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs by the appropriate deadline. The proposal must provide that all relevant requirements of the American Bar Association Standards are met. May be repeated for credit more than once if there is no duplication in subject matter. Students may apply a maximum of 6 credit hours of externship toward graduation requirements. Pass/Fail.
Note: Faculty approval required.
The primary educational objective of the externship program at Vanderbilt University Law School is to offer students experience-based instruction in professional skills and values. The specific skills and values taught will vary according to placement; however, each student will engage in at least some of the following lawyering skills: legal research and writing, interviewing, counseling, investigation, strategic planning, negotiation, pretrial and/or trial practice, appellate advocacy. A secondary educational objective is to expose students to various aspects of the lawyering process, and to encourage them to reflect on the roles of lawyers and other actors in the legal system. With certain placements, students will also have the opportunity to focus on specific areas of the law in a particular legal setting.
The goals of the course are that students: Develop an understanding of professional responsibility issues in live lawyering settings; identify and analyze the lawyering skills they observe and develop in their field placements; and engage in critical reflection about legal practice, the roles of attorneys in various practice settings, and their own future professional careers.
