Externships

At Jackman U of T Law, externships offer students the opportunity to step into the legal profession while earning academic credit. These placements are designed to immerse students in diverse legal environments – ranging from advocacy organizations and government agencies to hospitals, startups, and research labs.

The Faculty differentiates its in-house legal clinics from our externships, which are hosted by external organizations. This distinction allows us to offer a broad and growing range of placements that reflect the evolving interests of our students and the legal landscape.

The credit weight of externship placements is designed to correspond to the time commitments for similarly weighted doctrinal courses.  An externship that offers two credits should involve six to eight hours of work a week; a three-credit externship should involve nine to twelve hours of work a week; and a four-credit hour externship should involve twelve to sixteen hours of work a week.  That work may take place on- or off-site, depending on the needs and availability of space at the placement.

Students should expect their workload to fluctuate from week-to-week, as real life case work can be deadline intensive and therefore make varying demands on a lawyer’s time.  However, even during heavy work periods the time demands of a placement may not exceed 1.5 times the maximum hours of work estimated for that placement’s credit weight.  Under no circumstances will a student working in a two-credit clinic work more than 12 hours in a week;  students working in a three-credit clinic will not work more than eighteen hours in a week, and students in a four-credit clinic will not work more than twenty-four hours in a week.

Students working in externships must enrol in an Externship Seminar as a co-requisite during the first semester their externship meets.  (Students in yearlong placements need not attend their Externship Seminar during the second term of their placement.)

Externship seminars meets six times a year:  twice early in the term, twice in the middle of the term, and twice toward the end of the term.  Students are encouraged to reflect on their individual experiences in the practice of law in light of the more theoretical approaches taught in their doctrinal courses, consider professional and ethical challenges in their placement, and develop their understanding of legal institutions.  Students who enrol in more than one externship are required to enrol in an Externship Seminar for each placement.

Students interested in externships should consult the Course Calendar for current offerings and application details. Each externship is structured to include supervision, reflection, and academic evaluation, ensuring a rigorous and rewarding learning experience.