1. Why Externships?

Some advantages of an externship program are:

Placement can be tailored to individual student objectives

Focus may be on skills development, substantive law or the legal system, depending on program and student goals

Student learns about how legal institutions function

Student gains exposure to the practice of law and specific areas of practice

Student develops professional skills such as understanding the traditions of the profession, legal research, planning, trial work, drafting

2. Who can register for an externship?

After completing one academic year of study, any student not on probation is eligible to register.

3. How many credits is an externship?

Part-time two-credit or four-credit externships (LAW 555H) are available in the fall, spring, or summer semesters. Full-time externships outside of Hawai`i are available for 12 credits in the fall or spring (LAW 555P) semester. In the summer, a full-time externship for six credits (LAW555H) is available in Hawaii or outside Hawaii.

4. Can a student be paid for the externship work?

No. The relevant ABA Standard explicitly says that students in an externship program cannot receive compensation for an externship It is permissible, however, to receive housing or travel assistance.

5. Can a student use his or her own Lexis and Westlaw passwords to perform research for the benefit of the Externship?

Yes.

6. How many externships can a student take while in law school?

A student may count as many as six credits of externship towards graduation. However, students who complete a twelve-credit externship, LAW 555P, may take no other externship during law school. Thus, students who plan to take a full-time twelve-credit externship are cautioned not to register for another externship beforehand.

7. How much time is required?

For the two-credit externship, a student must work at least eight (8) hours per week during the fourteen (14) weeks classes are in session for a total of 112 hours. For the four-credit externships, the student must work at least 16 hours a week. Under special circumstances, the Externship Director may grant some flexibility in the number of weeks worked although the number of hours completed cannot be less than 112 hours. Externships may start when classes begin and must end when classes end. No externships can be conducted during winter break. Students enrolled in a full-time externship are expected to work full-time for fifteen weeks during the fall or spring semester and eight weeks in the summer.

8. Where can an extern be placed?

Externships are permitted in four sectors of the legal community:

a. Judiciary

b. Public/Private agency

c. Private law firm

d. State legislature/Executive Branch

A student may elect only one externship in each sector. However, the Externship Director may grant a waiver of this rule for an exceptional and unique educational experience. Externship students do not qualify to practice law under the state student practice rule.

9. Who supervises an extern?

Externships may be supervised by attorneys or judges only. The supervising mentor is the lawyer who will actually supervise the student's work, not the head of an agency or the senior partner of the law firm.

10. How do I identify or locate an externship?

It is up to the student to locate an externship. Lists of recent externship placements are attached in Section II.

11. How does the extern mentor know what to do?

As soon as an externship is identified and located, provide the mentor with a copy of the Memo "Externship Program Educational Objectives" and the two forms attached in Section VII.

12. How is the extern evaluated?

A combination of requirements include writing assignments, journals, time and activity record keeping and assessments, and critiques by the extern and the mentor are all evaluated by the Externship Director.