University of Dayton School of Law students become capable, ethical lawyers through the training they receive not just on campus, but around Dayton, Ohio, and the United States. In an effort to provide more real-world experience, the School of Law recently implemented a new curriculum requiring all of its students to complete an unpaid externship prior to graduation. UDSL’s mandatory externship program has allowed its students to work with the Alaska Public Defender’s Office, the Cincinnati Reds, NASA, and various federal and state courts.
"These externships are legal apprenticeships for our students; students will learn by doing and seeing it themselves," said Externship Supervisor Monique B. Lampke, Esq. who practiced civil litigation for almost ten years in both the public and private sector before joining the UDSL faculty in 2007. "The externship program allows UDSL's law students to observe the practical application of the legal theories they are learning in law school. As a result, UDSL's graduates have a raised competency level which will put them ahead of other new lawyers upon their admission to practice law” explained Externship Supervisor Denise Platfoot Lacey, Esq., who also joined the UDSL faculty in 2007. Her previous practice concentrated in attorney disciplinary prosecutions; she most recently directed the Ohio Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism.
What UDSL Students Say About Their Externship Experiences:
Tom Culpepper completed his externship with the Middletown Municipal Court, which saw, on average, 400 cases a week. On his first day of observation in the courtroom, he reported being exposed to racial tensions, complexities of socio-economics, mental illness, and family problems. “When you’re a litigator, 85% of your job is dealing with people. That’s something you don’t get much of in class. This experience prepares you to be a lawyer,” he said. “I can’t imagine being bored doing this.”
Jacklyn Knuckles completed an externship with a federal district court judge. Every day she met with the judge and discussed the cases on that day’s docket. In her first week she was asked to draft her opinion on a case and was able to choose a motion to work on, based on her legal areas of interest. “This experience is helping me to develop my writing and research skills,” she said. “Exposure to the court system is valuable; having knowledge about the process will be important no matter what type of law I decide to practice.”
Why UDSL Requires Externships:
UDSL externships allow students to develop practical, professional skills and obtain significant experience in a legal setting, such as a governmental agency, law firm, corporation, court, or legal aid. Under the direct supervision and mentorship of an experienced attorney or judge, students analyze legal problems and find creative, competent, and legally sound solutions to those problems by applying the skills and knowledge they have studied in law school. During an externship, a student will develop versatile skills emphasizing client interaction, efficiency, fact investigation, interviewing, multi-tasking, negotiation, networking, oral communication, organization, problem-solving, reading, research, time management, and writing. Because students receive 4 hours of academic credit for an externship, they may not receive compensation for their externship hours.
How Our Externships Work:
Absent exceptional circumstances, students must do their externship in their final two semesters or in the summer immediately preceding their final two semesters. Externships are generally available in the fall, spring, or summer semesters. Prior to commencing an externship, each student must attend a 2-hour orientation class during which the following topics may be covered: confidentiality, professionalism, conflicts of interests, and the unauthorized practice of law. Externships without an in-class component require a student to work at least 192 unpaid hours during one semester. Externships with an in-class component require a student to work at least 168 unpaid hours and complete 24 hours of in-class time during one semester. During the classroom component, students are brought together for skill development training and to allow thoughtful reflection and analysis on their externship experiences. Externship Supervisors will determine which externships will have an in-classroom component and must approve in advance all externship placements to ensure compliance with UDSL's externship guidelines.
Expectations of a Field Supervisor During an Externship:
An experienced attorney or judge will assume principal responsibility for each student in an externship as a field supervisor and will serve as the contact person for the Externship/Faculty Supervisor. Field supervisors are expected to regularly meet with students to provide them with general supervision, evaluate the student’s recent performance, discuss the activities of the field supervisor’s organization, answer the student’s questions, and generally serve as a mentor. Students are expected to work in their externship primarily on-site. A site visit or its equivalent will be done once a year at each externship placement by a Faculty/Externship Supervisor to determine whether the placement meets the academic needs of the externship program.
Where Can I Go For More Information:
For more information regarding UDSL's externship program, please contact one of the Externship Supervisors: Monique B. Lampke, Esq. at (937) 229-4660 or monique.lampke@notes.udayton.edu; or Denise Platfoot Lacey, Esq. at (937) 229-4634 or denise.lacey@udayton.edu. Students with last names beginning with A-L are generally supervised by Prof. Lampke, and students with last names beginning with M-Z are generally supervised by Prof. Lacey.