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Externships and Career Development

Externships and Career Development

At Loyola, we coach and empower students and alumni to develop strategies for defining and achieving their academic and career goals. We connect students with opportunities that foster thoughtful exploration and engagement for their personal and professional development.

To encourage exploration, we offer numerous extra-curricular activities, students groups, networking and career events, and student social activities. These opportunities allow students to further develop their lawyering skills while interacting with student peers, legal professionals, and organizations across a wide variety of industries.  Additionally, externships and professional training programs on the F-1 visa allow international students from around the world to gain meaningful insights and understanding of American law firms and their day-to-day business practices.

Faculty Advisor

Loyola's LLM Faculty Director, Professor Aaron Ghirardelli, takes a personalized approach to helping students find experiential learning and employment opportunities that meet their academic and career goals.  Professor Ghirardelli spends considerable effort offering career guidance and assistance selecting the right externship opportunities. He meets with graduating students to target potential employers who meet their individual career goals in terms of the type of work, type of employer, salary, and location, and then works with other faculty and Loyola's connections in the community to recommend students for these positions.

Career Development Office

Loyola's Career Development Office is a valuable resource for students, providing assistance and resources to ensure students succeed professionally, both during the program and after graduation. Students have access to resources that will aid in personal and professional development, career-search assistance offered by career counselors, and more. The staff is with you every step of the way, intent on helping you, through:

  • Assessment of strengths, interests and skills
  • Résumé review services
  • Discovering employment opportunities
  • Job search training and workshops
  • On-Campus Interview training

Loyola’s LLM students also have the opportunity to participate in the LLM Interview Program hosted by UCLA and partnership institutions.  The LLM Interview Program is a recruitment venue for employers who are interested in enlisting international legal talents and for internationally trained lawyers.

Experiential Learning Opportunities

Loyola is renowned for its long-standing tradition of graduating lawyers adept in philosophical, analytical, and professional skills. This takes the form of real-world simulation in the classroom and hands-on experience in the field.  Experiential learning opportunities at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, include:

Loyola’s Practica and Field Placement Program offer students the chance to polish their practice skills with some of Southern California's finest public agencies, private firms and more. These opportunities provide students with invaluable practical experience.

  • Field Placement Program

    • The Field Placement Program offers a diverse array of opportunities for students to experience the actual operation of legal institutions, explore the nature of attorney-client relationships, and hone the essential lawyering skills needed for their future legal careers. Under the guidance of experienced lawyers or judges, students can earn academic credit for their work.

      Field placements expose students to particular areas of practice through work in specialized offices, including the judiciary, public interest organizations, government offices, and a limited number of private firms and corporations. As externs, students more fully develop their legal research and writing skills, interact with clients and develop practical skills in oral advocacy and courtroom procedure.

Loyola’s LLM specializations combine rigorous intellectual training with in-depth clinical and experiential learning components.

Los Angeles's premiere aggregation of renowned social-justice clinics, Loyola Social Justice Law Clinic, is home to over twenty clinics.