LL.M. in Law And Government Experiential Learning Opportunities
In addition to enrolling in cutting-edge courses at American University's Washington College of Law (WCL), many LL.M. students want to take advantage of our broader Washington, D.C. classroom. There are many options, with brief descriptions provided below. Please contact the Associate Director at 202-274-4305 if you have more detailed questions.
Internships
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Paid
The Office of Career Services (OCS) maintains online postings and can be very helpful in helping you find a position in your field of interest. For more information, visit http://www.wcl.american.edu/ocs/. No academic credit is offered for paid internships.
UnpaidOCS also maintains online postings for unpaid internships. However, you may also contact local courthouses, federal government agencies, law firms, and non-profits directly to find out whether they are interested in hiring unpaid interns or law clerks.
Unpaid, for creditThe LL.M. program offers the possibility of doing a supervised internship for up to 6 Pass/Fail credits. Some students say, "why would I want to pay the school to do free work for someone else?" The answer is, "maybe you don't, but maybe you do." If you have secured an unpaid internship, and you are trying to finish your degree as quickly as possible, this option allows you to get credit for your work and time that can be applied to your degree. Please see the Internship Requirements form for more details about this option.
Externships
WCL's well-known and highly regarded Externship Program places hundreds of students in Washington, D.C. federal government agencies, judicial clerkships, non-profits, and, in rare cases, law firms (only available for exclusively pro bono work). The Externship Program consists of fieldwork and a seminar. The fieldwork experience is enhanced by the close supervision they receive from our faculty members by enrolling in one of a wide variety of externship seminars.
To receive academic credit, students must commit to working between 140 to 280 hours over the course of the semester. In addition to fieldwork, students must enroll in a 1-credit (P/F) or 3-credit (A/F) seminar. The major benefit of doing an externship is earning a grade for the 3-credit seminar. Otherwise, LL.M. students often have more work experience than J.D. students who are also enrolled in the externship seminars, and the seminars are more structured, assign required reading, and generally are less flexible than the internship option. For more information, visit the Externship Program web site at http://www.wcl.american.edu/externship/.
Dean's Fellowships
Although LL.M. students are generally not permitted to enroll in WCL's clinical programs, professors and programs (including the clinics) at WCL hire J.D. and LL.M. students to perform legal research and provide other assistance. The best way to find out about different opportunities is to look in The Docket, the law school's weekly online newsletter, which can be found at http://www.wcl.american.edu/docket/. You also might want to contact a professor or program directly if you have a specific interest in working for them, even if they have not posted an announcement in The Docket. These positions are paid at the rate of $10 per hour for a maximum of 20 hours per week.
Marshall-Brennan Fellowships
Each Spring, the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project recruits 50 talented 2L, 3L, and LL.M. students to teach yearlong, elective constitutional law and youth justice courses the following academic year in District of Columbia Public Schools. Students interested in pursuing teaching positions after obtaining the LL.M. find this experience to be invaluable. The Fellowship is extremely prestigious and offers a modest stipend to cover transportation and other incidental costs. For more information, contact Stephen Wermiel at swermiel@wcl.american.edu.