All externs must work at one of the Law School's approved placement sites.  A list of approved placement sites for each externship program can be found on the Canvas page "Law School - Experiential Education" or through this link. 

Holistic Defense Externship (offered Fall terms only)

1. To apply for the Holistic Defense Externship, complete the online application using the link below. Applications for the Fall 2025 Holistic Defense Externship will open Feb. 3, 2025 and close Feb. 28, 2025. The application will require submission of a cover letter indicating a student's interest in the program, a resume, an unofficial transcript, and a writing sample. Application: Holistic Defense Externship
2. Applications are organized and sent to the participating Holistic Defense placements, which will then review the applications. Placement sites may, but will not necessarily, reach out to students for interviews.
3. After the placements conduct their reviews of the applications, placements provide their ranked choices to the Wayne Law Externship Office. The Externship Office will then contact students about the offers. There is no guarantee a student will receive an offer.
4. Once a student has accepted an offer from a placement site, they will not be permitted to switch to another placement site for that academic term. If the student does not wish to extern at the accepted placement site, they will be required to withdraw their application and will not be able to enroll in any externship course during that academic term. The student can choose to reapply to an externship course in a subsequent term, but there is no guarantee a student who reapplies in a subsequent term will be able to enroll.
5. Students may be required to complete a background check and or drug test before beginning their placement.

Judicial and Public Service Externships (offered Winter and Summer terms)

1. For the Judicial & Public Service Externships, the student must first contact the approved externship placement site(s) from the lists below where the student would like to complete an externship.  The student should inquire about a particular site's application deadlines and requirements, and apply to extern.  Students are permitted to apply to multiple placement sites, but will ultimately only be permitted to extern at one per semester. If you wish to request approval of a field placement not on the list, email lawexternships@wayne.edu. It is not guaranteed that a placement site can be added, or that it can be added in time for any particular term.

• • Approved Judicial Externship placements
  • Approved Public Service Externship placements 

2. Once you have been offered a position, and when applications open, complete the appropriate externship application form below.
3. Submission of an application to either the Judicial or Public Service Externships indicates that a student has been offered and has accepted a position at an approved placement site. Once a student has submitted an application, the student will not be permitted to switch to another placement site for that academic term. If the student does not wish to extern at the placement site indicated on this application, they will be required to withdraw their application and will not be able to enroll in any externship course during that academic term. The student can choose to reapply to an externship course in a subsequent term, but there is no guarantee a student who reapplies in a subsequent term will be able to enroll. Please consider this requirement carefully before submitting an application.

Application: Judicial Externship

Application: Public Service Externship

Application Dates - Applications for the Winter 2025 Judicial Externship and the Winter 2025 Public Service Externship will open October 10, 2024, and will close December 18, 2024, or when a course reaches capacity, whichever is sooner. 

Applications for the Summer 2025 Judicial Externship and the Summer 2025 Public Service Externship will open Feb. 3, 2025, and will close April 28, 2025, or when a course reaches capacity, whichever is sooner.

Students are encouraged to apply to placement sites to secure an offer before the program application window opens or as soon as possible thereafter.

Corporate Counsel Externship (offered in Fall and Summer terms)

1. To apply for the Corporate Counsel Externship, complete the online application using the link below.

• Applications for the Summer 2025 Corporate Counsel Externship will open Feb. 3, 2025, and close Feb. 28, 2025.
• Applications for the Fall 2025 Corporate Counsel Externship will open May 27, 2025 and close June 17, 2025.

Application: Corporate Counsel Externship

2. When the application period closes, applications are organized and sent to the participating Corporate Counsel placements, which will then review the applications.  Placement sites may, but will not necessarily, reach out to students for interviews.
3. After the placements conduct their reviews of the applications, the placements will provide their ranked choices to the Wayne Law Externship Office. The Externship Office will then contact students about the offers. There is no guarantee a student will receive an offer.
4. Once a student has accepted an offer from a placement site, they will not be permitted to switch to another placement site for that academic term. If the student does not wish to extern at the accepted placement site, they will be required to withdraw their application and will not be able to enroll in any externship course during that academic term. The student can choose to reapply to an externship course in a subsequent term, but there is no guarantee a student who reapplies in a subsequent term will be able to enroll.
5. Students may be required to complete a background check and or drug test before beginning at their placement.

Questions?  Contact Assistant Professor (Clinical) Daniel Ellman, Director of Externships (lawexternships@wayne.edu).