Field placements, also referred to as externships, are one of the College of Law's experiential learning programs. In a field placement, students work outside boundaries of the law school building under the mentorship of a practicing attorney. Through an intentional and structured field placement, students develop and exercise judgment, acquire practical knowledge, hone their professional identity, and gain other professional skills.
Summer Legal Placement Program
This program is designed to help you explore professional options within the legal profession and support you in your first legal experience.
Academic Year Field Placements
Pursue a part-time externship within commuting distance of the law school, or opt for a semester away in a full-time externship in a specific practice area of interest.
New York Pro Bono Scholars Program
Law students in their final semester of law school are eligible to participate in this unique and innovative program developed by the New York Court of Appeals.
Class of 2022
"I cannot recommend enough an externship experience. The externship programs are incredibly helpful in preparing students to become successful attorneys. I had the opportunity to work in-house at John Deere Financial and at the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Iowa. These experiences helped me to put into practice the knowledge I acquired in the classrooms. At John Deere, I had the opportunity to participate in meetings and research issues which gave me an insight into the clients’ perspective of legal issues. In addition, working with Judge Collins provided me with the perspective of seeing the law from the judge’s eyes."
"Externing has provided me with some of the most valuable, practice-based experience I could ask for—and did so from an early juncture in my law school career. I was fortunate enough to spend my 1L summer in Washington D.C. with the United States Securities & Exchange Commission and my 2L spring with Chief Judge Sara Darrow in the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois. The SEC provided me the chance to meld my budding interest in government enforcement with the new skills I had learned in Iowa Law’s foundational classes. Right away, I felt like an early contributive member of my attorney team and picked up practice-based skills that continue to serve me today. My time with Judge Darrow exposed me to an entirely different side of the law and taught me lessons that many practitioners go careers without learning. From gauging how receptive a judge is to different lines of argument, to improving my writing under the guidance of Judge Darrow and her clerks: My time with the judiciary was truly invaluable!"
Class of 2023
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Program Director
