JD Externships

Externships provide an unparalleled environment for real-world learning in judicial chambers, nonprofit and public interest organizations, government agencies and in-house counsels' offices, including those in the entertainment business. You will benefit from a hands-on opportunity to strengthen the skills you have been developing in law school — such as research, legal writing, interviewing witnesses and interacting with clients — while gaining new ones, such as preparing for negotiations or trials, or contributing research or draft language for legislation or regulations under development.

As an extern, you may be able to attend court proceedings, negotiations, chambers' conferences, mediations, depositions, internal strategy sessions, federal, state or local agency meetings or congressional committee hearings. Students in prosecutors' offices may appear in court for preliminary hearings and similar proceedings.

Other benefits of externing may include:

working under the careful supervision of a committed supervisor
drafting legal documents
learning to become more autonomous and better at directing your own work and growth
practicing the wide range of communication skills essential for effective lawyering
building negotiation skill
observing attorneys in practice settings
exploring different areas and styles of practice before you graduate
gaining an awareness of ethical issues
internalizing the values and ideals of the profession

You may receive academic credit as an extern. All externships are graded CR/D/F. You will have some flexibility to decide how many hours a week you will work; full-time externships are available.

The concurrent academic component of the externship course guides you as you evaluate and analyze your work, teaching you the skills to support your own growth when you no longer have professors or focused supervisors to do so.

You must complete your first year of studies before you are eligible to extern. Externships are available during the fall, spring or summer. You may extern up to three times during law school, but generally those externships must be at different placements.

Over the years, USC Gould students have externed at an impressive and wide range of field placements. A representative sample includes:

Entertainment

Arclight
BBC Studios America
BET Networks
Dreamworks
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Insomnia Entertainment
Legendary Pictures
Lionsgate
LiveNation
Marvel
NBC Universal
Recording Industry Association of America
SAG/AFTRA
Writer's Guild of America West

Government

California and New York Attorneys General, various divisions
California Public Utilities Commission
District Attorney's Offices in several California counties
Judge Advocate General (JAG), Navy and Coast Guard
State and federal public defenders' offices
U.S. Attorneys' General Offices, criminal and civil divisions
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Federal Trade Commission
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
U.S. Small Business Administration

In-House Corporate Counsel

Aderans America Holdings
Healthsperien (Washington, D.C.)
WASH Family Laundry Systems
WestPark Capital

International

Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (the United Nations, at The Hague)
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (at The Hague)

Judicial

California Courts of Appeal
Federal and state court chambers, at both trial and appellate levels, including the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and other circuits around the country
Federal bankruptcy chambers
Federal District Court chambers, including the Central District of California and others around the country
Los Angeles Superior Court
U.S. Court of International Trade

Nonprofit/Public Interest

Asians Advancing Justice
ACLU of Southern California
Children's Law Center of Los Angeles
Disability rights organizations
Labor unions and the National Labor Relations Board
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles and other legal services offices around the country
LGBT rights advocacy, including the It Gets Better Project and the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund
Local school districts
Mental health advocacy entities
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
National Immigration Law Center and other immigration organizations
Public Counsel
Wage Justice Center

For more information, contact externassistance@law.usc.edu.

As an extern with the ACLU of Southern California, I worked on a team that monitors conditions in Los Angeles County jails. It was so rewarding to help incarcerated clients advocate for necessities like healthcare, sanitary living conditions, and protection from violence and discrimination. I also gained valuable experience in criminal justice policymaking by researching issues for impact litigation.

Jillian Davis, JD 2022

My externship was with Personal Capital, a financial technology company based in California's Bay Area. It was really rewarding being able to work in-house as a rising 2L as I was able to experience a variety of interesting and intellectually challenging assignments. Some of the projects I was able to tackle included drafting memoranda on cryptocurrency, analyzing current and future state data-privacy legislation, and reviewing contracts for vendors. I am especially grateful to my supervisor and team as they provided salient feedback on my work that I will implement in my career moving forward.

Graham Hendrick, JD 2023

I worked for the Office of Staff Attorneys at the Ninth Circuit, researching cases and writing recommendations for their disposition that I would present to monthly three-judge screening panels. It was a great overview of the appeals process and the opportunity to delve into the areas of immigration and civil litigation. The presentations to the judges were a highlight; you get to practice your speaking skills and meet the judges. I was completely remote; it's probably even better in person.

Lorraine Wang, JD 2021