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Introduction to Boston College Law School

Boston College Law School offers a range of programs for students to gain practical experience and build their network in the legal field.

Externships

Externships combine legal placements with a classroom component to help students get the most from their experience. The Externship Program helps students develop the qualities and skills they need to become successful practitioners by combining theory and practice, while also providing opportunities to reflect upon and instill the moral and ethical values that underlie a rational and just application of law.

Theory and Practice Meets Ethics

The Externship Program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive learning experience that combines theoretical knowledge with practical skills. Students work in a legal setting and participate in a classroom component, where they reflect on their experiences and receive guidance from faculty members.

Full-Time Externships

The Semester-in-Practice Program (SIP) gives students the opportunity to work 4-5 days a week in the field, while retaining the crucial seminar component for reflection on their experiences and for faculty guidance. Students can work locally or around the world in diverse settings and practice areas and learn on the job from experienced lawyers.

Part-Time Externships

For those who want to enroll in law school courses and extern in the same semester, the law school offers numerous part-time externships with companies, courts, law firms, government agencies, and public interest organizations. Part-time externship field placements provide students with the opportunity to gain professional experience over the course of an entire semester.

Externship Opportunities

• Government: Federal, state, and local government placements.
  • Attorney General Civil Litigation Program: Students practice for a full year at the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office, working on civil litigation, drafting legal documents, and researching and writing trial and appellate briefs.
  • Department of Revenue Tax Program: Students placed at the Massachusetts Department of Revenue work directly with Legal Division attorneys handling cases involving state taxation of individuals, corporations, and other entities.
• In-House General Counsel: Students work with corporate in-house counsel on a variety of matters, such as contracts, mergers and acquisitions, employment law, IP, and privacy.
• Judicial Process: Students work with judges in the First Circuit Court of Appeals, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, and the Massachusetts Appeals Court, assisting in drafting judicial decisions and observing oral arguments.
• Public Policy/Legal Services: Students extern with a variety of organizations, such as the ACLU, Earthjustice, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights, Greater Boston Legal Services, and many others, working on policy issues and/or providing direct service to clients.

Semester in Practice

The Semester in Practice (SIP) Program places students in immersive externships with law firms, judges, public interest organizations, government agencies, and businesses in Boston, across the US, and around the world. Students work 4-5 days a week and attend a weekly seminar, examining their experiences through readings, discussion, and presentations.

Sample SIP Placements

• AerCap (Dublin)
• Akebia Therapeutics
• Boston Red Sox
• DLA Piper (Boston and Dublin)
• Earthjustice
• First Circuit Court of Appeals
• US Department of Justice
• Wayfair

SIP: Dublin/Europe

The administrative center of the program is based at the Boston College satellite campus in Ireland. The program has served hundreds of students working in private businesses, law firms, and public organizations. It is an immersive experience that offers students a comparative law opportunity to work and collaborate with international attorneys.

SIP: BC in DC

This is a full-time, immersive externship in the nation's capital. Students work in diverse settings, including government agencies, law firms, public interest groups, in-house corporate counsel, and courts. Weekly seminars focus on attorneys' roles in DC, and site visits and guest speakers help students gain practical skills, develop professional relationships, and learn about career opportunities.