Frequently Asked Questions

  • When should I complete my application?
  • All students must meet with the externship director, Dena Bauman, drbauman@ucdavis.edu as part of the application process, to ensure that the placement qualifies and meets with your academic performance and professional goals.  Once you have applied for and been accepted to a placement, please fill and submit the on-line application for Professor Bauman’s approval.  If this is a new placement, Professor Bauman must pre-approve the placement. Rena Contreras, rgcontreras@ucdavis.edu, the externship administrator, will then register you for the appropriate class. Students do not register themselves for clinics or externships. We are flexible about the application deadline, but an application must be submitted no later than the first day of classes.

  • Are first year students allowed to enroll in the externship class? What about LLM students?
  • No. Only second and third-year students may enroll. The externship class is only offered in the fall and spring semesters, not the summer.  LLM students may take the externship class, but only with Dean Greenwood’s express prior approval. If Dean Greenwood grants permission, the LLM student should contact Professor Bauman to discuss.

  • What is a placement? Can I earn credit and be paid by a placement?
  • A placement is a legal office such as a public interest nonprofit organization, government agency, corporate counsel office or judicial chambers that hosts students who are receiving academic credit. For-profit businesses and private law firms do not qualify. Students may be financially compensated by a qualifying placement but only with Professor Bauman’s pre-approval.

  • Are remote placements allowed?
  •  Prior to the Covid-19 outbreak in March 2020, we limited placements to Northern California (generally the Sacramento and Bay Area), to develop close relationships with the field placements and supervising attorneys. Students were required to work in-person so as to experience the "real-life" workplace and culture and take advantage of the numerous networking opportunities. The pandemic propelled dramatic changes in the workplace environment, which continues to evolve. Many placements are currently allowing hybrid schedules, some are fully in-person again, and some are fully remote.  Professor Bauman will approve remote placements on a case-by-case basis; please contact her if that is an option you are considering. These policies are subject to change.

  • How do I find a placement?
  • Students are responsible for identifying, applying for and accepting a qualifying placement. Review the list of past placements . This list  includes placements where King Hall students have completed successful externships in previous semesters.. You should contact the organizations directly about their recruitment process (first check their website) and current openings.  We publish all announcements in Symplicity. If you are looking in Symplicity, do a broad search, because qualifying opportunities may be listed as internships, or volunteer positions.  Of course, there are many other ways to find possible placements: OCS resources, professors, social media, your own network, etc.  If you are interested in a placement that is not listed, please contact the externship director.  We have a process for vetting and accepting new placements.

  • How many units should I take?
  • All externships offer a part-time option from 2-6 units. Students may extern full-time in our Judicial, Capital Scholars and Administration of Criminal Justice externship classes, for 12 units. There are no unit options between 6-12. Each unit is 47 hours. However, placements may have a minimum or maximum number of hours.  If you are considering a full-time externship, you need to be especially careful in planning your semester, and are advised to consult with Dean Scivoletto or Dean Ide-Don for their input. No more than 14 externship units are permitted in total. This limit includes units taken in the UCDC Externship Program.

  • How many hours do I need to work for each unit?
  • 2 units = 94 hours. 3 units = 141 hours. 4 units = 188 hours. 5 units = 235 hours. 6 = 282 hours. 12 units= 564 units. Students will need to calculate their weekly schedule for the 14-week semester. Example: 10 hours a week is about 3 units. Also, many placements require two full days a week, 16 hours. That is 224 hours, or 4 units at 188 hours (you will not earn units for all the hours worked).

  • I worked somewhere over the summer/I externed at a placement in a previous semester. May I return and earn academic credit?
  • It depends. Your choice of any placement should be strategic and align with your professional goals.  If you would like to return to an organization for a second time (and all organizations must qualify for credit), your application will need to include a written explanation of how your subsequent time there will be significantly different or more advanced than your previous work. You may, of course, decide to work at a placement on a volunteer basis, but not for credit.

  • Who supervises the student extern?
  • The externship class is a unique model.  Students have a field supervisor who provides legal assignments, feedback, and mentoring. At the law school, the externship director provides ongoing guidance through meetings and educational assignments.

  • May I enroll in more than one clinic and/or externship in the same semester?
  • No. Students may only enroll in one clinic, externship or practicum in any individual semester.

  • I accepted a placement but now it doesn’t fit into my schedule. May I tell the placement I won’t be interning?
  • We are aware that students have many demands on their time and that it is difficult to coordinate course work, extracurricular activities, outside employment, and personal responsibilities. It is imperative to analyze your schedule before committing to an externship. If a student has accepted a placement and subsequently drops it, the consequences can be severe. A student who could have had the experience may lose the opportunity, and a placement who had prepared projects and assignments for you may be less willing to accept King Hall students in future semesters. For these reasons, students who have accepted an externship position must obtain permission from the externship director, Professor Bauman, to drop the placement.

  • Where else can I find information about the externships?
  • The externship director holds information sessions about externships every semester, and over the summer, and is readily available for a meeting by appointment or during office hours. Previous programs on externships can be found on the Intranet. She is also available for appointments. Contact her at drbauman@ucdavis.edu or telephone at 530-752-3142.