Experiential Learning

At USC Gould, we believe students learn best when classroom work is linked to experiential learning opportunities. In some classes you will have direct engagement with clients; in others you will participate in simulations or go on field trips that provide relevant experiences. You'll also learn from guest speakers and lecturers in law who are active practitioners in their fields.

Clinics and Practicums

Our six clinics provide JD students with a priceless educational experience. You will work on actual cases, represent real clients, and provide solutions and practical recommendations to resolve their issues. Our practicums allow you to gain hands-on experience with clients while exploring a substantive legal issue in depth. These clinics and practicums create a vital link between classroom and practice by enhancing listening and critical thinking skills necessary for success.

• Immigration Clinic
• Intellectual Property and Technology Clinic (IPTLC)
• International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC)
• Mediation Clinic
• Post-Conviction Justice Project (PCJP)
• Small Business Clinic (SBC)

Externships

Our wide range of externships provide you with the opportunity to work for a legal employer, under the supervision of a licensed attorney, engage with real clients, gain hands-on practical experience and earn academic credit. They include such diverse field placements as judicial externships, including the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and other federal, state, municipality and military courts; nonprofit and public interest organizations; state attorneys' general offices, federal and state public defenders' and U.S. attorneys' offices; in-house counsels' office, government agencies and other federal offices in Washington, D.C.

I was interested in criminal law, international law, and the intersection of law and race, so I took a seminar course with Professor Jody Armour on Stereotypes, Prejudice and the Rule of Law. I participated in presentations ranging from mock trial arguments on issues of race to a mock town hall meeting, where I played a resident of the Ninth Ward after Hurricane Katrina hit. Experiences like these are what makes USC Gould a unique law school — not just casebook after casebook, but truly engaging and innovative approaches to learning about law and the issues the law affects.

Douglas Hewlett, JD 2013

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