Supervised Externship Seminar (LAW-769-005)
Norman Eule
Meets: 03:00 PM - 04:50 PM (Th) - Capital - Room C217
Enrolled: 13 / Limit: 15
Notices
IMPORTANT: CLASS WILL MEET IN SMALL GROUPS FOR AN EXTRA HOUR EVERY OTHER WEEK, GENERALLY EITHER DIRECTLY BEFORE OR AFTER CLASS. The time/place of this extra meeting is determined by the professor. REGISTRATION: There are two parts to registering for an externship: 1) Register on-line for the seminar as you would for any class. 2) Register for the field placement by going to the Externship Page www.wcl.american.edu/externship and submit a Request for Approval, which generates the necessary forms.
Description
This is a three credit class to be taken in conjunction with a field placement in a non-profit organization, government agency, court or private law firm handling pro bono matters exclusively. This is a 3-credit graded seminar where students working in externship field placements will seek to: 1. Meet their individualized learning goals; 2. Enhance their ability to learn from real world experiences, develop a capacity for self-direction and problem solving; 3. Consider what kind of lawyer you each would like to be [ i.e., (a) type of setting in which you would like to work: (i) private practice, solo, small firm, large firm; (ii) non-profit practice; (iii) government practice; (iv) in house counsel; or (6) some form of alternative legal practice); (b) the type of clients for whom you would like to work ; and (c) the substantive area of law that you wish to pursue; and, 4. Perhaps most importantly, learn how to think and act like a practicing lawyer. We will work to meet these goals through weekly class meetings, reading assignments, guest lectures by practicing attorneys and clients, weekly journal entries, student class presentations concerning field placement experiences and reflective writing assignments.
Textbooks and Other Materials
The textbook information on this page was provided by the instructor. Students should use this information when considering purchases from the AU Campus Store or other vendors. Students may check to determine if books are currently available for purchase online.
First Class Readings
Learning from Practice: A Text for Experiential Legal Education, Wortham, Scherr, Maurer & Brooks (West, 3rd ed., 2016) —read:
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Charting Your Path to Success
Chapter 8: Reflection and Writing Journals
Also, be prepared to discuss (a) your completed First Class Field Class Questionnaire which is posted on the Class Web Portal under “Course Materials” (please bring two copies to class) and (b) your expectations for both your field placement and this class.
Syllabus
Use your MyAU username and password to access the syllabus in the following format(s):
Microsoft Word (DOC)