The mission of the Iowa College of Law’s renowned externship program is to grant students extensive real-world experience under the guidance of a practicing attorney. It offers students the opportunity to learn and develop their skills outside of the traditional classroom setting, affording them invaluable career development and the chance to establish lasting connections with professionals while they are still acquiring their law degree.
Externships are available to rising 2L and 3L students during both the summer months and academic year. Students in the Summer Legal Placement program must spend a minimum of 150 hours onsite working in their placement over the course of at least six weeks, while also participating in an online faculty-guided seminar. Academic year placements range from full-time, semester-long externships at locations all around the country, to part-time, local field placements in the Iowa City area.
Whatever form that an externship takes, all students come away from the experience with a wealth of new skills and confidence in their abilities to perform well in their future careers. For the placements themselves, students can always initiate their own externships with government or nonprofit organizations anywhere in the world. Here are some testimonies from recent externship participants about their experiences:
Kyle Estel, 3L
“During my externship at the SEC under Dean C. Metry, Chief Administrative Law Judge, I worked on policymaking matters and participated in discussions impacting financial regulations across the country. I also had the opportunity to dive into complex issues and observe how the SEC tackles a variety of challenges. It was eye-opening to be part of a team that plays such a key role in shaping the financial landscape, and it deepened my understanding of how decisions are made and the teamwork required to make them happen.”
“What I valued most were the connections I made with the SEC staff, who were always willing to share their experiences and insights. They helped me understand what a career in law can look like and offered great tips for my future (as well as some potential apartment locations). This experience fueled my interest in securities law and gave me the chance to work on truly unique issues. It was a solid reminder of how much I enjoy tackling complex legal challenges and how important this work can be. I highly recommend talking to Professor June Tai and seeking out unique externship opportunities.”
Adele Raymer, 3L
“At my externship I had the opportunity to research and write memos on a variety of legal questions relating to family law. For example, I wrote a memo on the extent to which Iowa courts take children’s wishes into account when determining custody arrangements. One of the most interesting projects that I worked on was drafting legislation to address the Iowa Supreme Court’s recent decision in In re Marriage of Frazier. This case limited the power of Iowa courts to resolve disputes between joint legal custodians who reach impasses over important decisions effecting their children. Through drafting legislation, I felt that I was not only learning about family law but also contributing to the field.”
“Throughout my externship I gained a deeper understanding of the day-to-day practice of family law. I am grateful that I was able to attend court proceedings, attorney meetings, CLEs, and a variety of other events that expanded my perspectives of the legal field. I valued that my externship gave me opportunities to connect with attorneys in the community and to expand my professional network. I believe this externship was invaluable to my legal education and will help me as I begin my career in family law.”
Kegan Peters, 3L
“During the fall of my 3L year I externed for Great Rivers Environmental Law Center, which is a non-profit environmental litigation firm based out of St. Louis, Missouri. Great Rivers is composed of a small group of attorneys. The Great Rivers attorneys showed great receptivity and trust in me by allowing me to work on a diverse array of assignments—from researching RICO to the Clean Air Act; from drafting public comments on agency rulemaking to subpoenas; from sitting in on client calls to participating in staff meetings. I am excited to be externing again with Great Rivers this spring. I value the opportunity to continue working on certain cases, continue developing my legal skills, and furthering my connections with the environmental community in St. Louis.”
All students interested in externship experiences are encouraged to contact June Tai, Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Field Placement Program. Professor Tai has been working diligently to maintain and grow this wonderful program through hiring additional support staff and adding several adjunct faculty members who have current practice experience that they can bestow upon their students.
“The attorneys that volunteer to work with students in externships enjoy teaching and mentoring students. We offer a CLE to the attorneys in the program every other year on best practices in supervising students, and through the seminar course, we talk with students about strategies to build relationships with practicing attorneys. In addition, since I’m active within the national clinical legal education community, I can often reach out to my colleagues at schools around the country – along with Iowa Law alumni – to support students who might be interested in specific practice areas, geographies, etc.”
Professor Tai finds her role as program director to be extremely rewarding, both for the students that she assists and for herself. “I practiced for many years, and I work hard to bridge the theory in law school with my practice-based approach. I enjoy hearing about the work students do—they are often in court, arguing motions or appeals, or counseling clients. Some will develop deep expertise in specialty practice areas and others find an area of law that they didn’t realize existed or that they could do for a living. There are so many possibilities out there for lawyers, and it’s exciting to find out where our students end up after graduating.”