Law Externships: Our Students at Work
Widener Law Commonwealth offers professionally rich externship opportunities. Externs immerse themselves in the day-to-day working lives of practicing attorneys and judges, hone research and writing skills, earn academic credit, and build a network for future employment.
Through our clinical, judicial, and business advising externship programs, placements are offered with state and county agencies, the commonwealth and Supreme Courts of Pennsylvania, senators and representatives of the state legislative body, and others. Second- and third-year externs work with judges, State and local prosecutors, public defenders, and legal service and government agencies.
Externs earn 1-4 credits (50 hours of work per credit) each semester by working in placements and attend a full-day class component at the beginning of the semester that focuses on lawyering skills. Students who have completed 3 semesters and who have taken Professional Responsibility and Evidence may apply to be certified under the PA Supreme Court Student Practice rule and have the opportunity to make court appearances with the appropriate attorney supervision. This applies to district attorney and public defender positions. The form for certification may be obtained in the Office of Student Affairs. Students who have completed their first year may enroll in Professional Responsibility and an externship simultaneously. The Evidence prerequisite may be waived if the Externship Coordinator determines the student does not need Evidence to be successful in the placement.
Please review the Externship FAQs for more information.
Featured Externs at Work
Maria Sabatino ’24
Clinical Extern
Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center
York, Pennsylvania
Matthew Strubinger ’24
Clinical Extern
Carbon County Public Defender’s Office
Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania
Nneoma Ibe ’23
Clinical Extern
Office of the Federal Public Defender, Middle District of Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Maranda Moyer ’23
Clinical Extern
Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Sarafina Ramalho ’23
Clinical Extern
4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Carolyn Dreer ’22
Clinical Extern
United State Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps
Fort Rucker, Alabama
Ryan Sypniewski ’19
Judicial Extern
Commonwealth Court
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania
Harrisburg and Scranton Locations
Arlene Marshall-Hockensmith ’06
Clinical Extern
Pennsylvania Bar Association (Pro Bono Office)
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Contact Information
Elizabeth Simcox
Coordinator of Externships
Adjunct Professor
Email: [email protected]