Clinics & Externships

Oregon Law's popular clinics and externships give students real-world experience with concepts learned in the classroom. Below, you can find out more about the clinics and externships offered each year.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Mediation Clinic. After mediation training, students spend one morning each week working in a local small claims court, helping disputants to search for nonlitigation solutions to their problems. Probate Mediation Clinic. After completing both basic mediation training and a specialized probate mediation training, students enrolled in the clinic will first observe and then co-mediate cases with experienced mediators. The cases are evaluated and assigned by Judge Holland in the Lane County Circuit Court. Cases involve issues in estate law, as well as adult guardianship and conservatorship proceedings.

Business Law

Portland In-House Counsel Externships. Externs are placed with in-house counsel at major Oregon businesses in the Portland metropolitan area. Students conduct a variety of legal work in the context of in-house counsel representation.

Small Business Clinic provides third-year law students with the opportunity to work with clients under the direct supervision of a practicing Oregon attorney. Clients of the Small Business Clinic can expect to receive top-quality legal services in an educational environment designed to provide students with the skills necessary to excel in the practice of law.

Bankruptcy Law

Office of the United States Trustee Externship Program. The Office of the United States Trustee is the division of the U.S. Department of Justice responsible for overseeing the administration of bankruptcy cases. In this supervisory role, the U.S. trustee ensures that the bankruptcy cases proceed without delay, debtors comply with the disclosure requirements of the Bankruptcy Code, assets are distributed according to the Code's priority scheme, plans of reorganization proposed by consumer debtors comply with the Code's requirements for confirmation, and instances of fraud and abuse of the bankruptcy system are identified.

Federal Bankruptcy Court Externships. Students serve as judicial externs for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Oregon and participate in all aspects of judicial decision-making, including researching and drafting bench memoranda and opinions, and observing oral arguments and chambers conferences. This one-semester externship is supervised by a U.S. Bankruptcy judge in either Eugene or Portland. (All judicial externships require the specific approval of the supervising judge and law school administration.) For additional information and application procedures, contact Andrea Coles-Bjerre.

Civil Litigation

Civil Practice Clinic and Advanced Civil Practice Clinic. Students represent low-income clients through Lane County Legal Aid. Cases may result in a court appearance or contested case hearing, often involving social security, welfare, food stamp, public housing, or unemployment benefits.

Criminal Law

Criminal Defense Clinic. Students conduct client and witness interviews and investigations and help defend clients in a wide range of misdemeanor prosecutions in Oregon Circuit Court through Public Defender Services of Lane County.

Prosecution Clinic and Advanced Prosecution Clinic. Students are assigned to one of several local prosecutors' offices, where they prepare and try minor criminal cases under the supervision of an attorney. Students may assist senior prosecutors on felony cases. The classroom component consists of weekly two- to three-hour discussions of the roles of participants in the criminal justice system through the various stages of the criminal process.

Environmental Law

Environmental Law Externships. Externs are placed with governmental and non-profit agencies working on a variety of issues related to environmental regulations and compliance, energy policy, land use, and climate change.

Environmental Law Clinic and Advanced Environmental Law Clinic. Working with the Western Environmental Law Center, students are advancing theories never before litigated in any American court. The emphasis is on intellectually challenging and creative work. The Environmental Law Clinic is open to some second-year students. All other clinics are open to third-year students only. Every qualified student who applies has an equal chance to participate through a lottery during the spring of second year.

Family Law

Child Advocacy Externships. Students in this externship work during the summer for Oregon juvenile court judges and practitioners. Those who work with judges do research, prepare for and observe all types of hearings in juvenile delinquency and dependency cases, as well as working on a major law reform project under the judge's direction. Students placed with practitioners are involved in all areas of the attorneys' practices.

Domestic Violence Externship. Students are placed at the Klamath Falls LASO (Legal Aid Services of Oregon) office. Students handle a range of issues related to the representation of domestic violence victims, which can include, for example, FAPA orders, stalking orders, family law issues, housing issues, and employment issues. The externship exposes students to the challenges faced by low-income, rural victims of violence. Court experience is part of the externship.

Domestic Violence Clinic and Advanced Domestic Violence Clinic. Students work with Lane County Domestic Violence Clinic attorneys and client advocates to represent victims of domestic violence and stalking in contested protective order hearings.

Local Government

UO's local government externship program places students in legal offices for cities, counties, or regional areas. Externs work on a variety of issues related to local government law, including issues relating to state and federal constitutions, land development, environmental protection, land use and public facility planning, municipal courts, public contracting, public employment, public safety, public records and meetings, and government budgeting. To find out more about current local government placements, Click Here.

Nonprofit

Nonprofit Clinic. The clinic is an interdisciplinary learning opportunity for students in the UO's School of Law, Department of Planning, Public Policy & Management and the Master's Degree Program in Conflict and Dispute Resolution. Students conduct governance and management assessments for nonprofit clients, under the supervision of experienced practitioners with backgrounds in law, dispute resolution, and nonprofit management. These assessments give nonprofits a deeper understanding of the importance of strong governance practices, which in turn enables them to strengthen their programs and services to the community. The students benefit from a real-world opportunity to apply skillstraining and substantive teaching about subjects like best practices, organizational dynamics and action planning. 

The Courts

Judicial Externships. Externs work for federal district, appellate, bankruptcy, and immigration courts, Oregon circuit and appellate courts, Oregon administrative boards, and others. The judges include students in all aspects of their work, including settlement meetings, trials, and discussions in chambers.

Propose your own externship

Propose your own externship. To propose a new externship placement, please consult these guidelines. If you have any questions please contact Professor Professor Megan McAlpin, Director of Clinics and Externships.