Beginning in winter 2022, Wayne State University Law School students will be able to spend the semester living and working in Washington, D.C. through a new externship program, "Lawyering in the Nation's Capital."
The externship program represents a partnership between the Law School's Experiential Learning program, Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights, and Levin Center. The program will offer up to four students each winter semester the opportunity to work, under the supervision of a licensed attorney, in a variety of settings depending on their area of interest. Students interested in the legislative process and congressional oversight may work on Capitol Hill in a House or Senate office. Students interested in civil rights and social justice may work with a nonprofit agency engaged in policy work.
Students will also be required to take a concurrent colloquium course designed to explore the role of the Washington, D.C. lawyer. The course will familiarize students with the various entities, organizations, agencies and individuals involved in making national public policy. Through a series of guest lectures and readings on the congressional process, advocacy, and agency rulemaking, the course will engage students in learning about the legislative process, the role of oversight and of interest groups, and the inter-relationship among the three branches of government. Part of the focus will be the role lawyers play in the development and oversight of federal law and policy.
Externships provide a unique opportunity for students to work in a professional setting outside the Law School while earning academic credits. By emphasizing self-reflection, externships not only offer valuable practical experience but ensure students have the capacity for self-directed professional growth beyond their law school years.
For additional information on the program, visit the Law School website at law.wayne.edu. Current Wayne Law students interested in enrolling should email lawexternships@wayne.edu for more information and to learn about the requirements of the program.
