Self-Created Externships
Some students secure a volunteer internship they want to convert to an externship, some want help finding a summer placement back home or in another out-of-state location, and other students are simply interested in a local agency or organization not already on our list of pre-approved placements. In all of these cases the student is able to work with the Office of Skills and Experiential Learning (OSEL) to build an opportunity through the self-created externship process. To qualify as a self-created externship, the proposed placement must meet the following criteria:
- The proposed placement must be a court, government agency, or non-profit legal organization. Currently, Loyola College of Law does not place students in a for-profit setting;
- An experienced attorney must be willing to supervise the student and ensure the opportunity consists primarily of substantive legal work;
- Students may not receive compensation, including independent or third-party funding, for the work performed at the placement. Students may receive reimbursement for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses such as parking.
- The agency must sign a memorandum of understanding and agree to meet all externship program expectations before the placement is approved.
All students have to do to begin the self-created externship process is schedule a meeting with Dean Finger by contacting her at dfinger@loyno.edu. Finding, vetting, and coordinating with potential placements takes time, so please come see Dean Finger several months before the start of the desired semester of enrollment.

Sample Self-Created Placements
Criminal Law Placements
- 15th JDC Public Defender (Lafayette, LA)
- Harris County District Attorney (Houston, TX)
- Harrison County District Attorney (Gulfport, MS)
- Monterey County District Attorney (Monterey, CA)
Governmental Placements
- Dallas Independent School District
- Environmental Protection Agency (New York, NY)
- Securities & Exchange Commission (Washington, D.C.)
- State Attorney General Offices (CA, FL, NY, VA)
Judicial Placements
- Hon. Rainey Brandt, Magistrate Judge, Superior Court of D.C.
- Hon. Dee D. Drell, U.S. District Court, W.D. of Louisiana (Alexandria)
- Hon. John O'Sullivan, Chief Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court, S.D. of Florida
- Lancaster District Court Central Staff (Lincoln, NE)
Non-Profit Placements
- Center for Biological Diversity (St. Petersburg, FL)
- Southern Center for Human Rights (Atlanta, GA)
- Women's National Basketball Player's Association (New York, NY)