Students

Qualifying Placements

The Colorado Law Externship Program is offered year-round (Fall, Spring and Summer semesters). Students may extern at governmental andÌýnon-profit organizations and agencies.ÌýStudents may work in all three branches of the government, including state and federal judicial chambers, executive agencies, and legislativeÌýoffices. As per the Law School Rules,ÌýColorado Law students may not externÌýat private, for-profit law firms or corporations. Due to a recent update to the Law School Rules, starting in Summer of 2023 students may now be paid and receive academic credit at approved externships.Ìý

Remote Externships

Due to the COVID-19 situation, students can nowÌýcomplete remote externships if their agencies will not allow them to work in the office, or if the student is not comfortableÌýattending in person. Please speak to theÌýProgram Director if you have any questions.ÌýExternship sponsors are not limited to agencies and organizations that have sponsored externs in the past. Students must be supervised by a licensed attorney at their agency.Ìý

Law School Credits

Students may receive 2, 3 or 4 credits for an externship in a semester, unless special approval has been granted for a single semester 7-credit externship in Colorado or a single semester 10-credit externship at a national or international placement. 50 hours of workÌýtime is required for each externship credit. ÌýStudents interested in seeking special approval for a 7 or 10 credit externship should consult with the Director of Experiential Learning about additional program requirements. ÌýStudents can only participate in ONE externship per semester (i.e., a student cannot complete a 2-credit externship at the Colorado Supreme Court and a 2-credit externship at the AG's Office in the same semester).

Application Deadlines

Externship Program Description Agreement documents must be receivedÌýno later than the deadlines listed below. We encourage students to being process of completingÌýexternship paperwork EARLY as background checks and other administrative processes can take a while.

  • TheÌýdeadline to submit your SUMMER 2026 externship applicationÌýis Wednesday, May 20thÌýat 11:59 p.m. MST.
    • ​We cannot accept late applications!
    • ​The Summer Externship Session will run from Monday, May 26th through Friday, July 31st.
  • TheÌýdeadline to submit your FALL 2026 externship applicationÌýis Tuesday, August 11thÌýat 11:59 p.m. MST.
    • ​We cannot accept late applications!
    • ​The Fall Externship Session will run from Monday, August 24th through Friday, December 4th.
  • TheÌýdeadline to submit your SPRING 2026 externship applicationÌýis Tuesday, January 6thÌýat 11:59 p.m. MST.
    • ​We cannot accept late applications!
    • ​The Spring Externship Session will run from Monday, January 12th through Friday, April 24th.Ìý

Colorado'sÌýStudent Practice Act:

Law students who have completed at least two years of law school may appear in court pursuant toÌý.ÌýA student must file aÌýÌýthat they haveÌýcompleted two years of law school and is of good moral character.ÌýTo file this certification, print the form, complete the first two sections, and email the form toÌýlawreg@colorado.edu. The Registrar will thenÌýcomplete and submit the form.Ìý

The student must also provide the name of the supervising attorney and an anticipated graduation date. Work must be performed for an attorney in the public sector, i.e., the Public Defender's Office or District Attorney's Office; or on behalf of a non profit legal services organization where poor or legally underserved persons receives legal advice.

Please note: In addition to the Law School Rules, Externships are regulated by ABA Standard 304.Ìý

Academic Quick Links

Nuts and Bolts of Externship Program

The Office of Career Development maintains a list of possible externships onÌý. In the OCI and Job Listings tab, you can filter by positions that are “Eligible for School Creditâ€� to find current listings. Students are encouraged to contact past sponsors from government or nonprofit agencies in a professional fashion regarding any current externship needs. As per the Law School Rules, students cannot externÌýat private, for-profit law firms or corporations.

Examples of agencies and organizations that have served as externship placement sitesÌýinclude Colorado state and federal courts at every level, The Deming Center Venture Fund, The Nature Conservancy, Boulder and Denver District Attorney's Office,ÌýThe Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Colorado Attorney General's Office, Office of the Colorado StateÌýPublic Defender, Colorado Technology Association, Greenpeace International, Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, The National Audobon Society, The Wilderness Society, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, University of Colorado Athletics Department, Western Mining Action Project, Colorado Legal Services,Ìýand many more as detailed here.

In deciding whether to approve a program for extern credit, Colorado Law will evaluate the following criteria to see if they are met:

  • The externship placement site is a non-profitÌýor governmental agency. Students are not allowed to complete externships at private, for-profit law firms or corporations.
  • The program is of substantial educational value,
  • The work to be done is of the kind a beginning lawyer might do in a professional capacity or is closely related thereto,
  • The work must have a substantial writing component,
  • The field supervisor is a practicing attorney or judge located at the externship siteÌýwho is committed to mentoring and providing the student withÌýsubstantial feedback on his/her/theirÌýwork product,
  • The sponsoring organization must provide theÌýstudent with anÌýadequate opportunityÌýto workÌýthe required number of hours to earn theÌýexternship credit,

In addition to working at their sponsoring organization, students are required toÌýattend mandatory classes offered during the semester through the Externship Program.

Please note:

  1. Students may not do an externship as a research assistant for a law school professor.
  2. Students must have completed at least 30 law school credits to be eligible to do an externship.
  3. Law firms and private organizations who would like to employ the services of our students are encouraged to employ them for wages. In many circumstances, the time a student spends working for a law firm may be billed to a client. The Career Development Office is available to aid in matching firms and private organizations with students who would be qualified to work for them.

Students may earn 2, 3, or 4Ìýacademic credits for their externship work in a singleÌýsemester, unless approved for a semester long 7-credit externship in Colorado or 10-credit externship in a national or international placement. The maximum number of externshipÌýcredits a student can earn while in law schoolÌýis 7.

To be eligible for academic credit, a student's externship must meet the following requirements:

  • A qualified field sponsor who is a lawyer or judge (students may not externÌýat private, for-profit law firms or corporations)
  • A minimum of 50 hours of work during the semester of enrollment for each externship credit, with a minimum number of 2 externship credits per semester and a maximum number of 4 credits per semester (unless approved for a semester long 7-credit externship in Colorado or 10-credit externship in a national or international placement)
  • Participation in mandatory course sessions offered throughout the semester
  • Submission of substantial written work authored by the student in the course of the externship. Acceptable writing pieces include:
    • compositions for your externship sponsor which are reviewed and critiqued
    • legal memoranda and briefs which are a significant part of your work and which are reviewed by your field supervisor
    • pleadings can suffice so long as they are primarily authored by the student and can be redacted appropriately to remove personal identifying information and sensitive content
  • Other externship paperwork as required by the rules

Externship hours cannot be applied retroactively. ABA rules require that an externship is supervised by faculty and that students engage in ongoing contemporaneous reflection. Consequently, you cannot count any hours worked prior to student submission of an externship applicationÌýand approval of an externship application by the Program Director. Ìý

More information regarding externship requirements is available at Law School Rule 24 and in the Program DescriptionÌýAgreement, which serves as the externship application.

Colorado Law students should send their completed (signed by the student andÌýsupervisor)ÌýtoÌýlawexternships@colorado.edu. Students should CC their externship supervisor on this email. Applications to enroll in anÌýexternship during any semester should be submitted no later than the stated deadline.ÌýThe deadline is/will beÌýlisted on the "Information for Students" portion of this website.Ìý

  1. Determine an externship site that will satisfy the above requirements and will meet your career interests.
  2. Approach the site of interest and identify an attorney who will serve as your field supervisor. You must identify a single person to serve as your supervisor even if you will work with several attorneys during the course of yourÌýexternship.ÌýMake sure that you discuss with your supervisor your need to be trained and mentored.
  3. Decide the number of academic credits you would like to receive for your externship. Each credit consists of 50 working hours per semester and you may register for 2, 3, or 4 credits, unless otherwise approved for a semester long 7-credit externship in Colorado or a 10-credit externship in a national or international placement in consultation with the Director of Experiential Learning. StudentsÌýcannotÌýregister for a 1-credit externship.
  4. Students interested in completingÌýa semester long 7-credit externship in Colorado or a 10-credit externship in a national or international placement mustÌýmake an appointment to meet with the Director of Experiential Learning and must include theÌýPetition to Participate in a Single-Semester 7-Credit Externship in Colorado, or a Single-Semester 10-Credit Externship at a National or International PlacementÌýwith their application. Students seeking an international placement must also consult with the Director of International Programs, to ensure that the sum of study abroad, potential international transfer, and field placement credits do not exceed 1/3 of the credits (29) needed to graduate.
  5. Obtain a resume, bio, or CV from your field supervisor (which should include qualifications of this individual to be your supervisor, along with a business address and phone number).
  6. Complete Externship Application (Program Description Agreement)

Upon receiving your application,Ìýwe will carefully review your application materials. If your application is approved, we will send you a confirmation email and we willÌýregister youÌýfor the requestedÌýnumber of credits by the Law Registrar's Office.Ìý

Your completed application should consist of:

All materials should be emailed to the Director of Experiential Learning atÌýlawexternships@colorado.edu. Please download the forms below to your computer before filling them out.

ALL FALL 2026 EXTERNSHIP STUDENTS WILL BE REQUIRED TOÌýATTEND AÌýMANDATORY EXTERNSHIP ORIENTATION SESSION

  • Wednesday, August 26,Ìý2026
  • Noon - 12:50 P.M. MST
  • ZOOM Link PROVIDED VIA EMAIL

Fall 2026 Externship Key Dates

  • Midsemester reflection is due WEDNESDAY, October 14th at 11:59pm MST
  • End of semester paperwork is due FRIDAY, December 4th at 11:59pm MST

Fall 2026 Externship Classes

Externship studentsÌýareÌýrequiredÌýto attend externship classes that will be scheduled over the course of the semester in the subject area that is closest to the area of law where the student will be placed during the semester. ÌýStudents DO NOT have to register for the externship classroom component through the Law Registrar's Office. The Program Director will send all students enrolled in an externship additionalÌýinformation about the externship class during the first week of classes each semester.Ìý

While the General Topics class is suitable for students completing anÌýexternship focusing on any area of the law, we strongly recommend that students enroll in theÌýsubject-specific class for the practice area of their externship.Ìý

Students completing anÌýexternship in the same practice area as a previous externship (i.e., two externships with the Federal Government) may be eligible to take the Advanced Topics class.ÌýThe dates, timesÌýand instructors are as follows:

Ìý

Advanced Externship (repeat externs with same practice area) ()

  • Wednesday, September 9, Noon to 12:50 p.m. – Room 301
  • Wednesday, November 18, Noon to 12:50 p.m. – Room 301

Ìý

General TopicsÌýÌý(cross-cutting professionalism topics) ()

  • Wednesday, September 2, Noon to 12:50 p.m. – Room 301
  • Wednesday, September 23, Noon to 12:50 p.m. – Room 301
  • Wednesday, October 7, Noon to 12:50 p.m. – Room 301
  • Wednesday, October 21, Noon to 12:50 p.m. –ÌýRoom 301
  • Wednesday, November 11, Noon to 12:50 p.m. – Room 301
  • Wednesday, December 2, Noon to 12:50 p.m. –ÌýRoom 301

Ìý

Federal Government ()

  • Wednesday, September 2, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. – Remote
  • Wednesday, September 23, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.Ìý – Remote
  • Wednesday, October 7, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.Ìý – Remote
  • Wednesday, October 28, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.Ìý – Remote
  • Wednesday, November 18, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. – Remote

Ìý

Judicial ()

  • Wednesday, September 9, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.Ìý– ÌýRoom 206
  • Wednesday, September 30, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.Ìý– Room 206
  • Wednesday,ÌýOctober 14, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.Ìý–ÌýRoom 206
  • Wednesday, October 28, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.Ìý–ÌýRoom 206
  • Wednesday, November 18, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.Ìý–ÌýRoom 206

Ìý

Non-Governmental/Non-Profits ()Ìý

  • Tuesday,Ìý September 8, 5:15 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. – Room 411
  • Tuesday, September 29, 5:15 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. –ÌýVirtual
  • Tuesday, October 13,Ìý 5:15 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. –ÌýVirtual
  • Tuesday, October 27, 5:15 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. –ÌýVirtual
  • Tuesday, November 10, 5:15 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. –ÌýVirtual

Ìý

ProsecutionÌý()ÌýÌý

  • Tuesday, September 1, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.Ìý–ÌýRoom 330
  • Tuesday, September 15,Ìý 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.Ìý–ÌýRoom 330
  • Tuesday, October 6, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.Ìý–ÌýRoom 330
  • Tuesday, October 20, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.Ìý –ÌýRoom 330
  • Tuesday, November 3, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.Ìý– Room 330

Ìý

Public Defender ()Ìý

  • Wednesday,ÌýSeptember 2, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.Ìý–ÌýRoom 421
  • Wednesday, September 16, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. –ÌýRoom 421
  • Wednesday, October 7, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. –ÌýRoom 421
  • Wednesday, October 28, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. –ÌýRoom 421
  • Wednesday, November 11, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.– Room 421

Ìý

State/Local GovernmentÌý()ÌýÌý

  • Wednesday, September 9, 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – Room 411
  • Wednesday, September 30, 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – Room 411
  • Wednesday, October 14, 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – Room 411
  • Wednesday, November 4, 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – Room 411
  • Wednesday, December 2, 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – Room 411