Levin College of Law

Externship Program

Field Placements

Welcome to the University of Florida Levin College of Law Field Placement Program. Field placements (also known as externships) combine work experience in a law practice setting with an academic component and allow students to earn credit for their experiences. Second and third-year students are eligible to participate in field placements.

We encourage you to participate in a field placement in order to: begin applying the doctrine learned in school to the practice of law; explore practice areas in which you have an interest; develop the professional skills needed in your future careers; develop a career network; and begin creating your legal work resumes.

Options

UF Law offers field placements in two different formats – Part-time or Semester in Practice.

Part-time – Second and third-year students may participate in 2-5 credit field placements while also taking courses at the law school. The time commitment for these externships is 8-17 hours per week. Most part-time placements are conducted in person with organizations in North Central Florida.

Semester in Practice – Third-year students may participate in 6-10 credit placements, which allow them to work 21-35 hours a week in the location of their choice. Semester in Practice is an immersive experience, intended to help students prepare for their careers and post-graduation life. Students who enroll in Semester in Practice also enroll in a mandatory two-credit Bridge to Practice course.

For additional information about part-time and Semester in Practice Field Placements, including credit and other limitations, law students should review the information provided on the Student Resources Canvas page, under Experiential Learning.

Sites

Field placements have been developed at a wide variety of sites, locally, state-wide and even nationwide. You may work with a state or federal court; a federal, state or local agency; a public interest or legal services organization, or a corporate general counsel’s office. Work for private law firms or explicitly partisan organizations does not qualify for credit.

A list of previous field placement sites is available in the Documents Library on Symplicity. Additionally, opportunities are regularly posted on Symplicity. Keep in mind, however, that not all opportunities make for appropriate field placements. Please make sure that you confirm that you will be able to earn credit before you finalize your plans.

We also work with attorneys and judges who would like to work with our students. If you are interested in becoming an approved site, please complete the new externship site form and return it to externships@law.ufl.edu. We can advertise a position on Symplicity, our career services portal.

Time Commitment

For each credit that you register for, you must work 45 hours. Additionally, you are expected to work throughout the 13-week semester, even if you can complete your required hours earlier. Typically, students register for 2-3 credits for a part-time placement. You should speak with your site supervisor to determine how much work they will be able to give you during the semester. Keep in mind that you may not change your credits after drop/add, so be realistic as to how much you can work.

Tuition

If you register for a Part-time or Semester in Practice field placement during the fall or spring semester, you will pay for those credits like all other credits – as part of your block tuition.

Externship Modality

Under normal circumstances, you are not allowed to participate in remote field placements. However, in response to the Covid 19 public health crisis, we will consider approving remote placements, if the site is continuing with remote work. Even if a placement is remote, if the circumstances allow, we encourage you to have at occasional in person meeting with your supervisor. We will continue to evaluate the situation and adjust as needed for future semesters.

Registration

Students interested in participating in either a Part-time or a Semester in Practice field placement should complete the Field Placement Registration Request form. Potential Semester in Practice students must speak with an advisor and receive approval for their plans before they are registered. Registration for either a Part-time or a Semester in Practice field placement is not automatic, as each request is reviewed to ensure that it meets the academic standards of the program.

Students interested in participating in a Part-Time or Semester in Practice Field Placement should schedule a time to speak with Alisha Tabag in the Office of Career and Professional Development (alishat@law.ufl.edu or 352-273-0775).

If you have questions about our program, please contact:

Professor Sarah Wolking
wolking@law.ufl.edu
(352)273-0815