Legal Externship Program 2024 Highlights

Externships at the Sturm College of Law remain a key component of our experiential education program and a huge attraction for students. The Legal Externship Program grew yet again this past academic year, hosting a total of 699 externships, our highest enrollment to date. Our placements continue to be a blend of opportunity for our students with 53% in the public sector and 47% within the private sector. And, as one of the first schools to allow paid externships, about half of the placements are now compensated. With the costs of legal education continuing to rise, we strive to play our part in positively affecting our students’ financial well-being. To that end, in partnership with the DEI office at Denver Law, we offer parking stipends to help unpaid externs pay for parking during their fall and spring externships. This initiative, alongside the law school’s summer stipend fund for unpaid public sector placements – which we grew intentionally once we began allowing paid placements – allows us to offer financial support and promote public sector work.

While externships first and foremost offer educational opportunities, the externship to career pipeline is real. A whopping 38% of students in the class of 2023, the most recent data available, are directly employed at a placement where they externed. This, alongside the number of indirect connections that led to post-graduate offers, reiterates the value of practical experience in the field.

Despite the size of our program, we remain committed to specialty programs as well. For example, our Semester in Practice program continues to allow for an immersive and in-depth learning opportunity, taking students across the state of Colorado and the nation in every type of setting. Our partnership with the Rocky Mountain Veterans Advocacy Project continues to grow as well, with over 20 students annually representing veterans in discharge cases and now also estate planning and family law matters. Our critical partnerships with the Colorado Supreme Court, Colorado Court of Appeals, and federal judiciary provide distinct opportunities for student growth while intentionally promoting access, representation, and equity. And our specialized corporate externship program offered in the spring semester attracts numerous students each year as they learn about the intricacies of in-house counsel work.

Directed by Professor Alexi Freeman and supported by Professor Katie Steefel, Staff Administrator Karen Mitchell, and adjunct professors Rachael Ardanuy, Judge LaQunya Baker and Colleen Scarola, the Externship Program works tirelessly to support each individual student. Our collective expertise and dedication ensure our students gain critical experience, learn the ins and outs of the craft from dedicated supervisors, and develop their professional identities. We look forward to the next stage of growth, innovation and mentorship!