Externships
Credit Hours
You can take up to 9 credit hours of externship courses during your academic career.
Externship Sites
Our prime downtown location leads to numerous opportunities for our students to discover new and interesting aspects of the law through our 90+ externship sites in the downtown area.
States
You can participate in externship placement in any state in the country during the summer!
It’s a fact. Real world experience makes you a better lawyer.
For 2L and 3L students, our 90+ externship opportunities (many within walking distance of campus) will take you to courtrooms, boardrooms, nonprofits, government agencies and everywhere in between. Externships allow students to receive academic credit while working under the guidance of supervising lawyers from the bar and judiciary. You’ll gain practical experience and develop professional connections that will last a lifetime.
Explore our externship options to find the perfect fit for you.
Through OCU School of Law I was able to do my externship at the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office in their Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Division. I absolutely LOVED this opportunity! My favorite aspects were sitting in on victim interviews, covering dockets, observing court, and being mentored by the Assistant District Attorneys. Thanks to my externship I have developed relationships with judges, attorneys, clerks, and court liaisons. The skills and connections I have gained from my externship are unparalleled and will serve as the foundation for my legal career.
Externship Program Requirements & FAQs
Externship Requirements
- Apply through the Externship Application prior to enrollment.
- Once accepted, you will receive a list of contacts for the placement sites.
- Contact the person listed at your preferred placement site to secure your placements.
- If you have another site in mind, please contact your course instructor as soon as possible.
- Once you secure your placement, please notify your course instructor.
- Attend the 8 hours of required training at the beginning of the semester.
Externship FAQs
Is the externship I’m interested in offered every semester?
| Course Name | Fall Semester | Spring Semester | Summer Semester |
| Corporate Counsel | Yes | Yes | No |
| Government Practice | Yes | Yes | No |
| Judicial Externship | Yes | Yes | No |
| Litigation Practice* | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Native American Practice* | Yes | Yes | Yes |
*These classes will meet together until further notice
When is a student eligible to take an externship course?
Students must complete the “required” curriculum before enrolling in an externship program.
What are the prerequisites for externship courses?
Prerequisites are “placement site” specific. Please see the course syllabus and review the requirements for each placement site.
Does the professor assign students to a placement site?
No. Students select a placement site.
Can I do more than one externship?
Yes. Students may earn a total of 9 credit hours in externship programs. See “Limitations on Credit for Certain Categories of Courses” in the online Academic Handbook. However, you can only do one externship per semester.
Do I need a Legal Intern’s License for the externship program?
No, but some placement sites strongly recommend a Legal Intern’s License. Click here for more on the Licensed Legal Intern Program.
Can I get paid while doing an externship?
No. The externship is a course, not employment.
Can I extern at a private law firm?
Yes.
Can I add a placement site that is not included on the approved site list?
Yes, with the approval of the instructor and if it is consistent with program guidelines.
Michael Mitchelson
Clinical Professor and Director of Externship Programs