The Important Role of Externships
Anahid Gharakhanian’s article “ABA Standard 305’s Guided Reflections’: "A Perfect Fit for Guided Fieldwork,” was published in 14 Clinical Law Review 61 (2007). This article describes changes in Southwestern Law School’s Externship Program, pursuant to revisions to ABA Standards governing externships. Of particular interest to externship supervisors will be the article’s discussion of: (1) the role of externships in providing a well-rounded legal education (and preparing the next generation of attorneys); (2) the impact of generational considerations; and (3) the insights gained from different models of success in law school and on the job. Anahid is the Director of the Externship Program at Southwestern Law School. She can be reached at 213.738.6786 or agharakhanian@swlaw.edu.
"Best Practices" For Teaching Law Students
A terrific resource for teaching law students that is directed towards law teachers, practicing lawyers and sitting judges is Best Practices for Legal Education: A Vision and A Road Map, by Roy Stuckey and Others (2007). ISBN 0-8782955-0-5 and ISBN 978-0-9792955-0-8. It is published in the United States by the Clinical Legal Education Association. Limited copies are available at no charge by contacting Barbara.Blanco@lls.edu with a full mailing address. This book is dedicated to a collaborative effort by many scholars addressing the best practices for practical clinical legal education, including such subjects as the best practices for delivering instruction to law students, the best practices for assessing student learning and the best practices for assessing institutional effectiveness in instructing law students.
In 2004, Barbara Blanco, Clinical Professor of Law and Faculty Externship Director, and Sande Buhai, Clinical Professor of Law and Faculty Public Interest Director, examined the natural dichotomy occurring where an off-campus externship field supervisor must of course prioritize the work of the government agency, public interest law firm or judicial chambers, while the education of the extern must be a secondary concern. The law school, obviously, places the education of the extern as a primary goal. The article, "Externship Field Supervision: Effective Techniques for Training Supervisors and Students," 10 Clinical Law Review 611 (2004), examines the challenges facing GLACE and law school faculty in more effectively preparing our students for the field experience.