Each student is allowed to obtain a total of eleven clinical hours. In addition, students may not receive more than three credits for participating in an externship program. If either of these situations may occur, the student must request and receive a waiver from the Associate Dean prior to registering for the externship or clinic. Finally, any student whose cumulative grade point average is less than 2.00 may not register for any clinical program. (Student Handbook Section 706)
Priority for the Criminal Defense Clinic and the Immigration Clinic is given to third-year day students and fourth-year evening students. A second-year day student or third-year evening student is eligible to apply for the clinics if he/she has “successfully completed more than one-half of his or her course of law school study” and “has completed or is enrolled in a course for credit in evidence or trial practice.” (Rule 9(a) Article II of the Supreme Court) In addition, students applying to the Criminal Defense Clinic must have completed Trial Advocacy.
Second-year day students and third-year evening students are also eligible to apply for the externship program as long as they have the equivalent of approximately two full days free to work at the externship placement. Judicial externs do not have to be Rule 9(a) eligible. Some public interest placements will require students to be Rule 9(a) eligible.
