Frequently Asked Questions

How is an internship different from an externship?

An externship is an internship you take for academic credit. In an externship, you must be supervised by an attorney and perform legal work throughout your time at your placement. Externships also have an accompanying seminar course taught by a HUSL faculty member who supports your experience. Employers often post positions using “internship” and “externship” interchangeably, so don’t let terminology limit the opportunities you consider.

Does the HUSL Externship Program find a placement for me?

For most externship courses students find their own placements, but in some the instructor places you directly with an organization or a team. In the Public Interest, Advanced Public Interest, Judicial, Corporate Counsel, SEC, Environmental externship courses, students are responsible for finding their own placement. In the Tax, Capital Habeas Corpus, Racial Equity Strategy, ADR Consortium, and ADR World Bank courses, the placements are predetermined by the professor(s). Please review the individual pages for each program for additional information.

When is the best time to apply for placements?

For Fall placements, students should look during Spring and Summer. For Spring placements, students should look in the early Fall. For Summer placements, many organizations (and foundations for Summer stipends/fellowships/scholarships) have deadlines for materials from January–March. So, you should look for Summer placements starting in the late Fall. Note that some organizations and offices post for Summer internships/externship as far out as a year in advance.

Can I receive counseling to help me select a placement?

Absolutely! Please contact the Director of Externships and Public Interest Programming for assistance weighing your options. Students should also be in touch with the Office of Career and Professional Development to discuss how an externship may fit into their overall career strategy.

How do I know whether my placement will qualify for the externship program?

Please review the “Field Placement Eligibility” section of the HUSL Externship Program page. If after reviewing this information you have questions, please email the Director of Externships and Public Interest Programming.

Can I extern at a law firm?

Yes, but only if all your hours for the entire semester are exclusively dedicated to pro bono work. Pro bono work are matters in which clients are either not charged for the legal work performed by the firm or are charged for minimal case costs. Students who
are considering applying for the externship program with a law firm placement must seek prior approval from the Director of the Externships and Public Interest Programming. Prior to applying for the HUSL Externship Program, please confirm with your potential field placement that they have sufficient pro bono work for you to meet the requirements of the HUSL Externship Program.

Can I extern remotely?

Though the HUSL Externship Program recommends students work locally, students may work remotely at externships outside of the Washington metropolitan area. Students must meet with their supervisor every week to discuss learning goals, assignments, evaluations, professionalism, and other topics related to their placement. Students working in the Washington, DC metropolitan area should work using the modality of their placement. For example, if a placement has a hybrid work schedule, a student should work both in person and remotely.

Can I split my semester between two placements?

No. Students must complete their externship at one placement per semester. This policy includes the summer semester.

Can I extern at the same placement twice?

Students applying for the Advanced Public Interest Externship can work at the same placement twice if the work they will be doing is different from their initial externship placement. Prior to applying, students must seek approval from the Director of Externships, which they may do through the HUSL Externship Application.

Can I take more than one externship course in a semester?

No. Students can only enroll in one externship course per semester.

Can I enroll in an externship and clinic during the same semester?

No. Students may not enroll in an externship and a clinic during the same semester.

Can I receive externship credit for work at Howard University?

No. Externship placements must be external to Howard University.

Can I take an externship course for a year?

Only if you are enrolled in a year-long ADR Consortium or ADR-World Bank externship courses. All other externship courses are for one semester.
How many externship courses can I take?

Students can take multiple externship courses over the course of their 2L and 3L years. However, students may not take more than one externship course in a semester. Students should note that externships are experiential learning courses; and therefore, are subject to the eighteen (18) credit cap on experiential credits. Please review the Student Handbook for additional details.

How does tuition work for externship placements?

For Fall and Spring, tuition covers externship courses, just like any other class. Over the summer, like all summer courses, students are charged by the credit. For example, if you choose to enroll for six credits, the University will charge you for six credits of tuition. The Office of Financial Aid typically circulates a summer cost of attendance estimate during the Spring semester. Students should also contact Financial Aid directly to ensure their financial needs for the summer are addressed.

When do I have to apply for the externship program?

This depends on the program.

The HUSL Externship Program Application opens by November for the following Spring, by April for Summer, and by June for the Fall. Students apply to the Public Interest, Advanced Public Interest, Judicial, Environmental, and Corporate Counsel programs through this application.
Students interested in the ADR World Bank and ADR/Consortium externships, must be accepted into the course by the professor during the Clinical Law Center (CLC)’s global application process in the Spring.
Students interested in the SEC externship must apply to the SEC and be admitted to the SEC honors program prior to enrollment in the course. Students should inform the professor of the SEC Externship course of their acceptance in the SEC honors program to ensure enrollment.
Students interested in the Capital Habeas Corpus externship must be accepted into the course by the professors. Please note that students must take Capital Punishment Law in the Fall prior to their externship.
Students interested in the Tax externship must be accepted into the course by the professor. Students should reach out directly to the professor if they are interested in the course.
Students interested in the Racial Equity Strategy Externship at the NAACP LDF apply through a separate application that is released in the fall semester.

Do I apply for the Public Interest, Advanced Public Interest, Judicial, Corporate Counsel, or Environmental externship program before I secure my placement or after?

No. Students should secure their placement prior to submitting an application to the externship program.
Do I have to attend the externship seminar?

Yes. Students must enroll in and attend the seminar component to receive any academic credit and pass the course. If you are not available during the seminar time due to class or other conflicts, unfortunately, you cannot be in the externship program.

When do I have to finish the hours I have to work at my placement?

Typically students must finish their hours by the last day of classes and prior to the reading period.

Can I apply the hours I work at my externship towards the Pro Bono Pledge?

After students have completed all of the requisite hours for their course, they may apply hours worked over and above the requisite number of hours for the respective externship course, as long as they receive no financial compensation for their externship. For example, if a student in the Public Interest Externship class is enrolled to take the course for three (3) credit hours, they are required to work a total of 110 hours/semester. Therefore, any hours above 110 hours may be applied towards the Pro Bono Pledge. Students may log their pro bono hours in 12Twenty, after receiving permission from the Director of Externships and Public Interest Programming.