In the fall of 2011, the Law School began a new externship initiative, allowing students to apply for a broad range of potential externship opportunities at government agencies and non-profit organizations and, if approved for enrollment in the Law Externship program by the Externship Director within the first two weeks of the semester, to receive appropriate academic credit for participation. The point of contact for this initiative is Externship Director Jane Heymann, Room 5103 (jheymann@wisc.edu).
In order to receive academic credit for an externship, a student must devote a minimum of 45 hours of work for each academic credit, and must submit periodic reports on the externship experience, including a final paper reflecting upon the value of the externship. Students enrolled in the Law Externship course for academic credit may not receive compensation for their work at the externship site, but can be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the field placement.
Since the fall of 2011, students have completed externships, or are currently working as externs, at:
- the Wisconsin Department of Revenue
- the IRS Office of Chief Counsel's Milwaukee regional office
- the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Wisconsin
- the Oneida Tribal Court
- the Office of the Governor of Wisconsin
- Gathering Waters Conservancy
- the Dane County Corporation Counsel
- Clean Wisconsin
- Community Justice Inc.
- the Wisconsin Public Defender's Office
- the Federal Defender's Office
- University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics
- the Stockbridge-Munsee Community
- the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions
- the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Chicago, IL regional office
- the Ho-Chunk Nation Legislature/Legislative Counsel's Office
Students interested in a field placement for credit are encouraged to meet with Ms. Heymann to discuss which organizations might be the best fit for the student's career goals and interests. For-credit externships can be arranged during the spring, summer and fall semesters. In addition, for students with some flexibility, school-year externships outside of Wisconsin can be arranged, and it is possible for a student to earn as many as 12 credits for an externship if the student works virtually full-time at, e.g., a federal agency in D.C. or at one of the agency's regional offices in some other city. An excellent resource for learning about which agencies operate externship programs for law students during the fall and spring semesters is the Government Honors and Internship Handbook, a password-protected online publication that the UW Law School Career Services Office subscribes to -- students may obtain the username and password from the Career Services Office.
Set forth below is a list of a number of organizations that have established externship programs for law students. The possible externship placements, however, are by no means limited to the organizations on this list -- students are encouraged to propose externships at organizations and agencies that offer the sort of experience and skills training that the students are most interested in obtaining. If a student is interested in arranging for an externship at an agency or organization that has not previously hosted UW Law School student externs, the agency or organization will be asked to complete and submit an application form. Whenever possible, externship opportunities that we become aware of will also be posted in the Job Bank on Symplicity.
A sampling of organizations hosting law student externs:
University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics Office of Compliance and Privacy
The University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics Office of Compliance and Privacy is accepting applications from 2Ls and 3Ls who would be interested in working 15 hours per week during the fall 2013 semester. The office is willing to host two externs per semester. Applications for the fall 2013 semester are due by May 1, 2013 -- earlier is better.
Under the supervision of Director of Compliance/Associate General Counsel Daniel Weissburg, externs will participate in the range of activities undertaken by the Compliance Dept. These include assisting with and/or conducting research/audits/investigations to ensure compliance with state and federal laws in a wide range of areas such as revenue cycle (coding and billing), conflicts of interest, privacy/data security and medical research; developing information, training and other educational resources for use with a full range of staff; and responding to individual requests or concerns from a wide range of sources throughout the organization. Externs will be exposed to significant aspects of healthcare compliance law through investigation, legal research and writing, and written and oral communication to a wide variety of audiences. Externs will also be expected to maintain and project a highly attuned sense of professional ethics and manage confidentiality needs.
Because the Compliance Department operates separately from the UWHC Legal Department, externs will not work closely with other attorneys. Externs will, however, have the opportunity to occasionally attend meetings with other attorneys including the Chief and Deputy Chief General Counsels of UWHC. Please note that the UWHC Compliance Department is located at 8501 Excelsior Drive, on the far west side of Madison, not at the main hospital location at 600 Highland Avenue.
Law students should submit a resume and a cover letter describing their experience and interest in the field of healthcare, health law and compliance to Diane Reed, Compliance Coordinator, at dreed2@uwhealth.org. Candidates of interest will then be interviewed in person or by phone prior to being accepted as externs. Qualified applicants will have a demonstrated interest in and ability with healthcare, legal and compliance issues; familiarity with health systems and medical terminology; effective and efficient legal and regulatory research skills; and the ability to interact and communicate with individuals at all levels of the organization in a team-based environment.
A student who is offered, and accepts, this externship opportunity and works for 15 hours a week for 12 weeks during the spring semester can earn 4 credits through the Law School's Law Externship Program (you must devote 45 hours of work over the course of the semester for each credit earned). If you are offered, and accept, this externship opportunity, contact Jane Heymann, the Law School's Externship Director, who will explain the requirements of the Law Externship program and give you permission to register for the appropriate number of credits.
University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics Office of General Counsel
From time to time, the Office of General Counsel of the UW Hospital & Clinics is able to host a third-year law student extern. The Office of General Counsel is located in the main hospital building at 600 Highland Avenue in Madison. A rising 3L student interested in being considered for an externship there for fall 2013 should submit a resume and letter of interest to Ms. Tiffany Roepsch at troepsch@uwhealth.org by May 1, 2013.
Public Service Commission of Wisconsin
The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin is interested in hosting a law student extern for the fall 2013 semester. The PSC anticipates that the student would register for either two or three credits and would work for 12 to 14 weeks at the Commission. The primary work would be legal research and writing, with a focus on administrative law, energy law, and environmental law at the municipal, state and federal levels. Externs also have opportunities to write memoranda for the Commission, attend hearings, participate in lawsuits against or commenced by the Commission, and to attend training on "Understanding Wisconsin Statutes."
If you would like to be considered for this externship, please email a letter of interest, an unofficial transcript, a resume, and a writing sample that is solely your work, to RJ Pirlot, Executive Assistant to the Chairperson of the Commission, at rj.pirlot@wisconsin.gov, by April 17. Please also email your resume and letter of interest to Jane Heymann, the Law School's Externship Director, at jheymann@wisc.edu
GWAAR Elder Law & Advocacy Center
The Greater WI Agency on Aging Resources (GWAAR) Elder Law & Advocacy Center provides legal services to individuals age 60+ through statewide Elder Benefit Specialist Programs focusing on public benefits and benefits counseling, consumer issues, housing, and health insurance coverage. The organization would like to host two to three law student externs during the summer or fall 2013 terms, to work 10 to 12 hours per week. The office is located at the corner of E. Washington Avenue and Stoughton Road, on a bus line, so a car is not necessary. Flexible hours between the hours of 8:30 and 5:00, M through F, are available.
Externs at this organization could expect to become highly familiar with interaction and overlap of public benefits programs and consumer law issues. The organization assists elder clients with Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, landlord-tenant problems, collections issues, and small claims court matters. Externs will assist with drafting letters to landlords regarding required maintenance or improper deductions from security deposits; cease and desist letters to collection agents detailing potential client remedies for consumer violations; appealing overpayment decisions from the Social Security Administration; and drafting requests for an increase in spousal impoverishment income allocations in order for the community spouse not to lose their home to foreclosure. Additional information about this externship is available from Jane Heymann, the Law School's Externship Director, in Room 5103.
If you would like to be considered for an externship with this organization, mail or email a resume and a cover letter describing your availability and interest in working with public benefits programs, health care, consumer issues, and/or elder individuals to Kate Schilling, Legal Services Program Director, GWAAR, 1414 MacArthur Rd., Suite 306, Madison, WI 53714, or via email at kate.schilling@gwaar.org.
United States Trustee’s Office for Region 11 (covering the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin and the Northern District of Illinois)
Placements are available in the Chicago, Madison or Milwaukee offices, during the summer, fall and spring terms. The U.S. Trustee Office is a component of the Department of Justice and is a statutory party in all bankruptcy cases. For an excellent overview of the mission and operations of the U.S. Trustee Program, review its internet site at http://www.justice.gov/ust/
Externships typically cover a period averaging 12 weeks for approximately 18 to 20 hours a week. If an extern candidate is selected, that person must go through a background check, which may take 4 to 8 weeks. For this reason, interested students should contact the office in which they would like to work, at least two months prior to the start of their desired term. Externs are selected on the basis of their sincere interest in bankruptcy and/or government law, their motivation to learn from experienced attorneys, and their willingness to commit to a fixed schedule.
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume (a brief writing sample is optional) by email or U.S. mail to the following person:
Chicago: Assistant U.S. Trustee Dean Harvalis, 219 S. Dearborn St., Suite 873, Chicago, IL 60604; Constantine.Harvalis@usdoj.gov
Milwaukee: Assistant U.S. Trustee David Asbach, 517 E. Wisconsin, Room 430, Milwaukee, WI 53202, Dave.W.Asbach@usdoj.gov
Madison: Trial Attorney Mary Jensen, Office of the United States Trustee, 780 Regent Street, Suite 304, Madison, WI 53715; mary.r.jensen@usdoj.gov
For summer 2013 externships, apply by March 15, 2013; for fall 2013 externships, apply by April 16, 2013. Preference will be given to students who have completed, or are contemporaneously enrolled in, a Bankruptcy Law course.
Additional information about this externship is included in the Symplicity Job Bank job posting, number 8779.
Clean Wisconsin
There are openings for two UW Law students in 3-4 credit externships for the Spring 2013 semester at the Madison-based environmental advocacy organization Clean Wisconsin.
This externship will provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to run a successful legal campaign within the broader context of advocacy. This externship focuses on administrative law practice, policy development, and legislative analysis. Clean Wisconsin does substantial amounts of work at the Public Service Commission and with the Department of Natural Resources. The externship covers broad areas of environmental law, including air and energy law, water law, and natural resources law. Students will have an opportunity to work on current issues in environmental law in Wisconsin, including mining, fighting coal, promoting clean energy, and addressing runoff pollution that threatens our waters.
Student externs work with the legal department and other program staff to provide legal research, analysis and litigation support for the organization’s core program areas of clean water, clean energy, and clean air. Students become familiar with administrative procedure (for example, petitioning the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), participating in the rulemaking process, contested case hearings, intervening in Public Service Commission (PSC) dockets, petitioning for judicial review of administrative agency decisions), as well as core concepts of environmental law (Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Wisconsin environmental laws).
Application requirements: Clean Wisconsin requests that student applicants have had some exposure to environmental or administrative law -- through coursework, substantial undergraduate work on environmental policy, political science, or natural science, previous internships or externships or work experience. Send a resume, transcript, writing sample, and cover letter (1 page) explaining why the applicant is interested in environmental or administrative law. Send to Katie Nekola, General Counsel, Clean Wisconsin, at knekola@cleanwisconsin.org
Application deadline: November 30, 2012. If you are offered this externship opportunity, contact Jane Heymann, the Law School's Externship Director, at jheymann@wisc.edu or 262-6413, to learn about the requirements applicable to the Law Externship program and how to register for academic credit. You must devote 45 hours of work over the course of the semester for each credit you register for.
Community Justice Inc.
Community Justice, Inc. is a non-profit law firm dedicated to representing folks in the Madison area who have low or low-middle income levels who otherwise would not be able to afford representation. CJI provides services on sliding scale rates for family, housing, employment and other types of legal maters.
CJI offers weekly shifts (9am to 1 p.m., or 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday) -- law student externs can take at least one shift, but can take more if they would like, as long as the extern adopts a set schedule from the beginning of the semester. CJI relies on volunteers to help with filing documents with the courthouse, basic letter drafting, and conducting potential client interviews. As the student becomes more skilled, the student will start to receive more assignments directly from one of the seven CJI attorneys, which usually include drafting of correspondence, pleadings, trial preparation and research. There is usually daily contact with each of the attorneys. CJI strives to provide a great learning opportunity for law students.
If you are interested in applying for this externship opportunity, please send a resume and a cover letter describing your availability to Kimberly Ackmann at KimA@communityjusticeinc.org.
If you are offered this externship, please contact the Law School's Externship Director, Jane Heymann, at jheymann@wisc.edu, so that she can give you additional information about the requirements you must meet in order to obtain academic credit for the externship through the Law School's Law Externship program. You can register for 1 to 3 credits, but you must devote 45 hours of work over the course of the semester for each credit you register for.
Wisconsin Department of Revenue
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue can host one or two externs each semester. The Department is interested in students who have completed Taxation I or its equivalent and who are available to work at least ten hours a week. If you would like to be considered for an externship with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, send a resume, a letter explaining your interest, and a writing sample to the attention of Dana J. Erlandsen at dana.erlandsen@revenue.wi.gov
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois - Fall, Spring and Summer
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, in Chicago, conducts an externship program for second and third year law students every semester. Externs must work 16 hours a week for 12 weeks, or the equivalent of two days a week, if their externship occurs during the fall or spring semester. Students participating in a summer externship are required to work for 40 hours a week for 10 weeks. Students may participate either on a strictly volunteer basis, or they may register in the Law Externship program and obtain academic credit for their work. If you are offered this externship opportunity and want to obtain academic credit, contact the Law School's Externship Director, Jane Heymann, at jheymann@wisc.edu, for additional information about the requirements you must meet in order to get academic credit for your work.
If you are interested in applying, send by U.S. mail a resume, a personal statement reflecting your background and your interest in participating in this program, a legal writing sample, three letters of recommendation (preferably legal), and an unofficial law school transcript to Monica LeKostaj, Administrative Assistant for the Law Student Intern Program, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, Dirksen Federal Building, 219 South Dearborn Street, 5th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604. Recommendation letters, whether or not submitted in sealed envelopes, may be included by the student with the application materials. Please make every effort to include them with the application to avoid delay. Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
For spring semester externships, application packages are due in mid-September. For summer semester externships, application packages are due in late December. For fall semester externships, application packages are due in mid-April. For fall 2013 externships, the application deadline is April 16, 2013.
Additional information about these externships, including application deadlines, is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/iln/interns.html
Chicago Regional Office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Participants in the SEC’s program (called the “Law Student Observer Program”) are assigned to the Division of Enforcement. Students work 15-20 hours a week and are responsible for arranging credit with their respective schools. In selecting students, preference will be given to students with excellent academic backgrounds and with courses in corporate and securities law.
Student observers are assigned to work with SEC staff members on projects covering a broad range of the Commission's work. Projects in the past have included the investigation of industry and issuer practices, litigation of civil enforcement actions and the drafting of proposed statutes and rules. Students are expected to establish a working schedule with their supervisors.
To apply, send copies of a cover letter, resume, a 5 to 10 page legal writing sample, a list of current courses, and an unofficial law school transcript including an explanation of the grading system, by email to hilliardsmithe@sec.gov, or by mail to Emlee Hilliard-Smith, Esq., U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 175 Jackson Blvd., Suite 900, Chicago, IL 60604. Applications for the fall 2013 term are due no later than April 12, 2013 (recommended by March 22, 2013); applications for the spring 2014 term are accepted between August 19, 2013 and October 4, 2013, and it is recommended that you apply by September 20, 2013. Early submission of materials is encouraged because this is a highly competitive program.
Other offices of the Securities and Exchange Commission have similar programs; see the SEC's Fall 2013 Law Student Observer Program flyer for additional information about application requirements and deadlines for externships at the SEC's other offices.
City of Chicago Department of Law
This program is designed to provide students with a challenging externship that reflects the demands and rewards of public service. Participants in the Extern Program are not compensated; however, course credit is available. Work schedules will be determined in accordance with your school’s externship requirements and your Department of Law supervisor. Please consult with Jane Heymann, Externship Director at University of Wisconsin Law School (Room 5103; jheymann@wisc.edu), if you are accepted to this externship program so that she can advise you of the requirements for obtaining academic credit for the externship.
The participant will be assigned to one of the practice divisions within the law department. He or she will be assigned a supervisor who will coordinate assignments. Together, the chosen participant and the supervisor will determine the start date, the hours to be worked and the date on which the program will end for the individual. Please note that residency is not required for these unpaid positions.
Application Process: In order to begin the application process, a hard copy of your materials must be mailed or hand delivered to the address below. E-mail applications will not be accepted.
- Cover letter (In addition to identifying your Division preference, please indicate that your application is for the Externship Program)
- Resume
- Law School Transcript
- One writing sample that must be between 5 and 20 pages in length. You can find the City of Chicago Dept. of Law's Writing Sample Policy on line at http://www.cityofchicago.org/content/dam/city/depts/dol/Forms/DOLWritingSamplePolicy.pdf
Forward Application Materials to: Legal Recruiter, City of Chicago Department of Law, 30 N. La Salle – 1640, Chicago, IL 60602
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 (Chicago)
The Chicago regional office of the EPA hosts externs who are second or third year law students who have completed a course in environmental law before the externship commences. The agency requires fall and spring semester interns to work 16 hours a week for 12 weeks, or the equivalent of two days a week, and requires summer externs to work at least 20 hours a week. A student accepted to this program could earn 4 hours of academic credit. Application deadlines are rolling; applications for the fall semester should be submitted by the end of June, at the latest.
Applicants must submit a cover letter, resume, unofficial transcript and writing sample to begin the application process. Applicants must submit these materials to the extern coordinator at nelson.leverett@epa.gov (preferred). Submissions by mail (not preferred) may be sent to: Mr. Leverett Nelson, Associate Deputy Regional Counsel, Mail Code C-14J, Office of Regional Counsel, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 77 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60604-3590
Internal Revenue Service, Office of Chief Counsel, Milwaukee office
Student externs assist attorneys assigned to the Milwaukee office in preparing cases for trial before the United States Tax Court, reviewing the merits of refund litigation, furnishing legal advice necessary to protect and collect tax claims of the United States (which may involve matters pertaining to bankruptcy, administrative summonses, liens, levies, decedents' estates, etc.), and perhaps evaluating potential criminal tax prosecutions.
Prerequisite: Federal Income Taxation I. In addition, externs must be U.S. citizens. Please include a brief cover letter explaining whether you are interested in doing an externship during the summer, fall or spring semester. Externships require students to work at their field placement for 45 hours per academic credit awarded. This externship requires the extern to work in Milwaukee; travel expenses will not be reimbursed. Early applications are encouraged because a background check must be completed before the extern can begin work.
Stockbridge-Munsee Community (Bowler, WI)
The Stockbridge-Munsee Community, a federally recognized Indian tribe, offers an externship experience for the summer, fall or spring semester. This externship will provide practical experience in in-house government and business issues in a tribal setting, such as employment law, contracts, governmental programs, prosecutorial research, legislative research, and drafting of tribal laws. To be successful in this externship, you must be a self-starter and be able to work independently. Much of the work may be done remotely (i.e., in Madison) but the extern will need to travel to Bowler, WI, at least twice, once at the beginning of the externship and once near the end. Externs will be reimbursed for their travel expenses. Bowler is about 45 miles east of Wausau, WI.
Students interested in this externship opportunity should email a resume, and a letter of interest identifying why they desire to extern for an Indian Tribe and what they hope to gain as a result of working for an Indian Tribe, to the attention of Starlyn Tourtillott, Tribal Staff Attorney, P.O. Box 70, Bowler, WI 54416.
Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group
WISPIRG (the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group) is interested in hosting University of Wisconsin Law School students in externship-for-credit arrangements. WISPIRG is a public interest advocacy and organizing group located in Madison. Externs will learn the nuts and bolts of public interest advocacy -- researching developing policy ideas; strategizing how to gain political support through coalition-building, grassroots organizing, media publicity, endorsements and message development; lobbying decision-makers; researching and writing reports and white papers to inform policy debates; and conducting media outreach and serving as a spokesperson for campaigns.
Students interested in public policy and advocacy will receive extensive training and experience that would prepare them for a career in this field. They will interact with attorneys on the WISPIRG staff, but interaction with attorneys will be limited since many of WISPIRG's staff are professional advocates without a law degree. Interested students should submit a cover letter explaining why they are interested in a public policy and advocacy externship, a resume and a writing sample to Bruce Speight at bspeight@wispirg.org.
Dane County Corporation Counsel Office
The Dane County Corporation Counsel in Madison accepts applications from students who are interested in an externship-for-credit placement at that organization, for 11 to 12 hours a week for approximately 12 weeks (number of hours and weeks is negotiable). The office can host two or three externs each semester. Law students who work at the Dane County Corp Counsel's office assist in trial preparation of documents and witnesses, prepare legal documents including pleadings and written discovery, handle routine hearings under supervision, conduct research on a variety of issues, and observe meetings, hearings and depositions. Much of the Corp Counsel's work involves child protection, termination of parental rights, guardianship and mental commitment cases.
If you would like to apply for one of these externships, please submit a cover letter, unofficial transcript, and resume to Eve M. Dorman, Asst. Corp. Counsel at Dorman@countyofdane.com. If you are contacted for an interview, you will need to bring a writing sample with you to the interview. If you are selected for an externship, please contact Jane Heymann, the Law School's Externship Director, to discuss the requirements for obtaining academic credit for your work, and for permission to enroll in the Law Externship program.
Federal Defender Services of Wisconsin, Inc.
The Federal Defender's office in Madison accepts applications from students interested in an externship for approximately 20 hours a week in either the fall or spring semester. Externs attend weekly legal staff meetings at which they interact with all the lawyers and investigator as they discuss all pending cases and brainstorm issues. Externs accompany lawyers to client meetings and to court; review discovery and help spot legal issues; and draft pretrial motions, sentencing memos and appellate briefs.
Students interested in being considered for an externship with the Federal Defender's office should send a resume and a letter of interest to Michael W. Lieberman, Supervisory Associate Federal Defender, at michael_lieberman@fd.org. Applications for fall 2013 externships should be submitted by mid-April; applications for spring 2014 externships may be submitted anytime after September 1, but no later than October 15, 2013.
United States Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. and other locations
Many divisions and agencies of the United States Department of Justice, in many locations including Washington DC, host law student externs during the academic year as well as during the summer. These are almost always volunteer positions, without compensation, but many of the positions are ones for which the extern could receive academic credit. University of Wisconsin Law School students can earn up to 12 credits by working full-time for an entire semester as an extern at the U.S. DOJ, through the Law Externship program. A list of the participating DOJ agencies, their locations, and the deadlines by which they select externs, can be found at www.justice.gov/careers/legal/volunteer-opp.html
Application materials and deadlines vary by agency, so please refer to specific agency descriptions for details: see www.justice.gov/careers/legal/volunteer-opp.html Early applications are very strongly encouraged.
If you are interested in pursuing an externship at the U.S. DOJ, or have been offered an externship and would like to receive academic credit for your work, please contact Externship Director Jane Heymann at jheymann@wisc.edu.
Several of our alumni who are lawyers at the U.S. DOJ have expressed a willingness to talk to students about externship opportunities at their particular offices. Contact Externship Director Jane Heymann if you would like information about them
