What is a Practicum?
A practicum course offers students an opportunity to earn 2 or 3 credits in connection with an unpaid experiential opportunity. In a practicum course, students will:
- Engage in a project for a real client under the supervision of an on-site practicing attorney or supervisor and a full-time faculty member.
- Organize, sequence and reflect on their learning through biweekly meetings with a full-time faculty member.
- Complete a minimum of 10 hours of experiential work each week (not including travel time) for a 3 credit Practicum OR 6.5 hours of experiential work each week (not including travel time) for a 2 credit Practicum each week for 14 weeks.
- Submit weekly emails to the full-time faculty member that include hours completed, a description of all work, and a self-evaluation of any work completed.
To register for a Practicum:
Practicum Approval
Before registering, students must obtain approval from Dean Ramji-Nogales if:
- you are interested in engaging in an independent placement (i.e. not a School-Designed Practicum) or
- you have previously worked (either volunteer, for credit or paid) in a prior summer or academic semester at the practicum placement or
- the placement is at a for-profit entity.
In order to register for an independent, for-profit or repeat practicum placement, students must complete the Practicum Approval Form.
| Semester | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Summer 2024 | 12:00 PM on April 25, 2024 |
| Fall 2024 | 12:00 PM on July 25, 2024 |
| Spring 2025 | 12:00 PM on December 12, 2024 |
Practicum Agreements
All students who wish to register for a practicum must submit a completed Practicum Agreement, signed by the student’s faculty supervisor and site supervisor, to Student Services through the form linked below. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all signature and approvals are obtained before the registration deadline. Students, Field Placement Supervisors, and Faculty Supervisors may electronically sign the Practicum Agreement by completing and signing the form in Adobe Acrobat. Instructions on how to electronically sign this agreement can be found online here.
| Semester | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Summer 2024 | By 12:00 PM on May 17, 2024 |
| Fall 2024 | By 12:00 PM on August 16, 2024 |
| Spring 2025 | By 12:00 PM on January 6, 2025 |