Upcoming Events

Legal clinics and externships are where virtually every law student is exposed to the practice of law, often through serving clients whose legal needs would otherwise go unmet. These clinic and externship opportunities not only train students in the skills needed to be a lawyer but also inform their understanding of access to justice and their future ethical obligations to help close the justice gap. Inspired by their experiential work in law school, some graduates embark on public-interest careers, while others head into private practice but with the trained instinct for pro bono service. Law schools through their legal clinics and externships are the shared root system for both branches of practice: legal aid attorneys and pro bono volunteers. Legal clinics also often partner with both the private bar and legal services organizations on case work and policy reform projects—a relationship that runs in both directions, more like a continuous loop than a one-way pipeline.

The panel features speakers from area law schools and larger legal community to examine the foundational role that legal clinics and externships play in developing lawyers committed to access to justice. The panel includes practitioners, professors, and students to ensure a diversity of views and perspectives.