Students are required to spend a minimum of 140 hours a semester at their placement. Academic credits are available through two class offerings, the externship placement and Issues in Professionalism.

• Externship Placement: 3 hours credit. Students may receive credit for up to two semesters of extern placement at different placements. 
• Issues in Professionalism: 2 hours credit. Students participating in their first semester as an extern OR a licensed legal intern must take this class. This is an applied professional responsibility class.

During the summer, students are able to work in placements outside of the Norman and Oklahoma City areas, allowing students to either return to their home communities or explore new cities. Externs have worked in many places including Florida, California, Maryland, Texas, Colorado, Nevada, Washington, D.C., and Johannesburg, South Africa.

There are generally two differences between an externship and internship.  Externs work for class credit. Interns normally work for pay. You cannot receive both course credit and pay for the same job. Also, interns usually have obtained a legal intern’s license issued by the Oklahoma Bar Association. There is no requirement for a licensed legal intern to work as an extern. If you are interested in an internship, click here for more details.

Additionally, externs who exceed the 140 hour requirement can submit the additional hours for pro bono credit through OU’s Students Access to Justice program.

Applications for the externship program are accepted throughout the year.  Contact Professor Connie Smothermon at csmothermon@ou.edu for an application.