Barry Zuckercorn wrote:Someone here, Absolutelax i think, mentioned that they would go to UVA because the only thing that GMU has over it would be in-year internships. Can someone speak about those in-year intern/externships? Are people able to extern at the hill or other govt. agencies during the school year? Thanks.
Most schools (that I've looked at anyway) offer clinics and externships that are available throughout the 2nd & 3rd years of law school (including summers, but also in fall & spring semesters). The case for Mason would be that those clinics could offer much more interesting work in D.C. than in a rural area - and more importantly, that there are greater opportunities for externships in D.C., since it has such a more commanding legal market. For instance, here are their course listings for externships for credit --
"Supervised Externship 320 (3) Entails 120 hours of supervised fieldwork in a private law firm or a federal or state agency in Virginia, Maryland, or the District of Columbia. The participating offices are selected on the basis of interest and ability to provide the student with a sound educational experience under the supervision of an agency attorney or judge. These legal offices cover diverse subject areas to meet the interests of most students. Recent placements include the U.S. Attorney in Alexandria and the District of Columbia, legal divisions in the Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Claims Court, Department of Interior, and General Services Administration. Except during the summer, this includes a one-credit-hour classroom component. A full outline of rules and forms may be obtained from the Career, Academic and Alumni Services office.
Supervised Externship 321 (4) Entails 180 hours of supervised fieldwork in a private law firm or a federal or state agency in Virginia, Maryland, or the District of Columbia. The participating offices are selected on the basis of interest and ability to provide the student with a sound educational experience under the supervision of an agency attorney or judge. These legal offices cover diverse subject areas to meet the interests of most students. Recent placements include the U.S. Attorney in Alexandria and the District of Columbia, legal divisions in the Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Claims Court, Department of Interior, and General Services Administration. Except during the summer, this includes a one-credit-hour classroom component. A full outline of rules and forms may be obtained from the Career, Academic and Alumni Services office. (identical to Law 320, except for the hours)
I won't post all the clinic descriptions, but they are shown at this link
http://www.law.gmu.edu/academics/clinicsBy the way, this is one of the reasons that I am so interested in Mason. My situation is a bit different than most, though - I won't be able to travel far for externships or summer jobs because my hubby and I will be having our first baby soon. If you are able to take a summer job anywhere you can find one, then year-round practical skills opportunities might not be as important to you.