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.

Externship forms are available on the Externships TWEN page.

Featured Students at Work

 

Mikhaeil Awad

Graduation Year:  May 2019
Hometown:  Wayne, New Jersey (Originally from Syria)
Summer Placement:  U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

 

Queenette Echefu

Graduation Year:  May 2019
Hometown:  Bronx, New York
Summer Placement:  Office of General Counsel, Department of Aging

 

Cheri Sparacino

Graduation Year:  May 2018
Hometown:  State College, Pennsylvania
Summer Placement:  Chief Magistrate Judge Schwab, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

 

Tyler Calkins

Graduation Year:  May 2018
Hometown:  Sweet Valley, Pennsylvania
Summer Placement:  Dauphin County Public Defenders Office