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Academics

Externships

Gain real-world experience with externship plaements in judicial chambers, government agencies or public interest organizations.

Externship Opportunities

The legal externship program at Mississippi College School of Law consists of three options:  a three (3) hour local externship course, a three (3) hour remote externship course, and a six (6) hour remote externship course. All externship placements are with judicial chambers, government agencies or public interest organizations and are unpaid.

Externships are available to any student who has completed at least 45 academic credit hours. Generally, a student has sufficient academic credits to extern beginning in the spring semester of his or her 2L year. 

Local Externships

The local externship course places students in legal placements in Jackson and the surrounding areas.  Local externs must spend a minimum of 135 hours at the placement (usually 10-12 hours per week).  Students are encouraged to arrange a class schedule that allows for two open days to devote to an externship.   Students also attend a weekly class that will meet at the law school. There is no required textbook and no exam. The local externship course is a three (3) hour, pass/fail class. 

Remote Externships

Through the remote externship course, students may extern out-of-state or outside the Hinds/Madison/Rankin County area.  Remote externs must commit to a minimum of 135 hours for a three (3) hour placement and 270 hours for a six (6) hour placement. Students also attend a weekly class that will meet virtually through TWEN, must submit weekly journals, and must attend an orientation seminar at the law school in the semester before the remote externship begins.  There is no required textbook and no exam. The remote externship class is a pass/fail class.

Application Process

Participation in the externship class is by application only. Students must arrange an externship and apply for the externship class before the semester begins.

To begin the process, review the Externship Guide for Local and Remote Externships. This guide contains detailed instructions on local and remote externships, answers to frequently asked questions, and resources for finding remote externship placements.

For a list of local externship placements, see the Placement Catalog for Local Externships.


To apply to host a volunteer legal extern for academic credit, contact:

Joy Reger