Public Interest Externship Program
If working for the public good appeals to you, the Public Interest Externship offers a great opportunity to acquire practical experience while providing legal aid to those in need. As a Delaware Law student, you can work as an extern at a public interest agency of your choice, earning academic credit and cultivating professional relationships. The Public Interest Externship Program at Delaware Law gives you the opportunity to launch your legal career before you’ve finished your education.
The Public Interest Externship is a course designed to assist you define your role as a “Public Interest Attorney” through the integration of academic theory/analysis with common practice themes arising in public interest law advocacy. You will perform legal work at their externship field placements for a minimum of 140 hours during the 15-week academic term (supervised by a licensed attorney), record legal practice observations in reflection papers, and write 3 short Case Journals analyzing your field experiences on approved public interest law topics. There is no final examination.
Every year, the Public Externship Program sends as many as 30 students to work in government and public service law offices. As a participant, you will spend a full year working alongside attorneys who could become valuable contacts and references while you earn academic credit. The Public Interest Externship offers an excellent opportunity to practice the unique skill set required for the practice of public interest law.
Check out the current placement list (pdf) for our Public Interest Externship Program.
Clinical Public Interest Externship Documentation
Memorandum of Agreement (docx)
Placement Plan (docx)
Supervisor Assessment Form (docx)
Student Log Form (docx)
Contact Information:
Director: Professor Francis J. Catania, Jr.
Phone: 302-477-2108
Email: fjcatania@widener.edu