Externship Application Procedures

All clinical applications must be submitted by the application deadline.  Students may apply for up to 10 clinical sites per term.

Example: 1 In-House, 5 Approved, and 4 Student-Initated

Approved Externship: The Externship Office will initiate contact with each already approved externship site on behalf of the student(s) submitting applications.

• Students should NOT contact approved sites directly. Rather, application materials should be submitted as follows:
• Log on to the Cooley Portal to view the Approved Externship Database
• Complete the Clinical Program Application.
• Submit an original resume, cover letter, and writing sample for each site that you would like to be considered for.  
• The cover letter should be written as the cover letter information suggests.

Student Initiated Externship: In addition to the already approved externships, a student may propose a student initiated externship placement which is comparable to the already approved externships. For example, a student may propose a student initiated externship with a law firm other than those firms listed on the approved externship database, with which Cooley currently has an on-going relationship.

• Complete the Clinical Program Application
• Submit a copy of a resume, cover letter, writing sample for each site that you would like to be considered for.
• Submit a letter written by the potential supervising attorney that acknowledges your acceptance as an extern with his/her office (this letter ONLY may follow after the application deadline, all other materials indicated here must be submitted by the application deadline).
• All SIPs must be approved by the Curriculum Committee.

Each Cover Letter should be written as the cover letter information suggests.  If you’re applying for a student initiated externship you are still required to submit a cover letter for each site that you’re applying to.

Resumes should be current, accurate, and professional looking. For help with preparing or reviewing your resume see the Career and Professional Development Office on the third floor of the Cooley Center or the Clinical Coordinator on the ninth floor of the Cooley Center.

The writing sample should be an original. Briefs or memoranda written for Moot Court, Law Practice, Research and Writing, or Advanced Writing make good writing samples. A Scholarly Writing or Elective Paper on the specific area of law your potential placement practices also makes a good writing sample. Writing samples should be clean copies, without typos, grammatical errors, misspellings, or editing marks. It is a good idea to create a cover page identifying the writing sample and indicating that it was prepared on hypothetical facts and it may no longer reflect the current state of the law.