Mitchell Hamline School of Law
Menu Search
  • Home
  • About
    about

    About

    Mitchell Hamline School of Law, located in St. Paul, Minnesota offers a rigorous, practice-based experience, preparing graduates to serve clients and communities. Our motivated students study full time or part time, on-campus or partially online in the way that fits their lives.

    • Accreditation
    • Awards, Rankings, and Recognition
    • Blended Learning at Mitchell Hamline
    • Board of Trustees
    • Civic Engagement
    • History
    • Employment at Mitchell Hamline
    • Life at Mitchell Hamline
    • Mobile Law Office
    • Notable Alumni
    • Partnerships
    • President and Dean
    • Rosalie Wahl Legal Practice Center
    • Affiliation with Hamline University
  • Academics
    academics

    Academics

    Mitchell Hamline School of Law

    Academics

    Academics
    • A degree that prepares you for practice
    • J.D. Enrollment Options
    • Centers and Institutes
    • LL.M. and Other Degree Programs
    • Journals and Law Reviews
    • Study Abroad
    • Non-Degree Certificates
  • Prospective J.D. Students
    prospective-j-d-students

    Prospective J.D. Students

    Learn about the application process and connect with our Admissions team.

    • Admissions Team
    • Applying
    • Frequent Questions
    • Student Profile
    • Tuition and Financing
    • Admissions Materials
    • ABA Required Disclosures
    • Employment Summary Reports
  • Faculty
    faculty

    Faculty

    Faculty
    • Faculty and Academic Deans
    • Senior Leadership
    • Faculty Emeritus
    • Instructors
    • Adjunct Faculty
    • Board of Trustees
    • Media Experts Guide
    • Mitchell Hamline Open Access
  • Alumni
    alumni

    Alumni

    Alumni
    • Alumni Association Board
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Mentoring
    • Alumni Award Recipients
    • Elected and Appointed Officials in Minnesota
    • Notable Alumni
  • Library
    library

    Library

    Library
    • Catalog
    • Circulation
    • Computing
    • Document Delivery
    • Interlibrary Loan
    • Library Staff
    • Policies
    • Printing / Scanning / Copying
  • Giving
    giving

    Giving

    Giving
    • Impact of Giving
    • Recognition and Thanks
    • Mitchell Hamline Priorities
    • Planned Giving
    • The Annual Fund
    • Staff
  • Admitted Students
    admitted-students
    • Fall Planning
    • Admitted Student Day
    • Important dates
    • Tuition and Financial Aid
    • Merit Scholarships
    • Student Resources
    • Law School Preparation
  • Current Students
    current-students
    • Academic Excellence Program
    • Bookstore
    • Career and Professional Development
    • Counseling Services
    • Dean of Students
    • Diversity and Inclusion
    • Financial Aid
    • Information Technology Services
    • Registrar
    • Student Finances and Payroll
    • Warren E. Burger Law Library
  • Career Development
    career-development
    • Career Planning During COVID-19
    • Resources for Students
    • Solo and Small Firm Practice
    • Resources for Employers
    • Resources for Alumni
    • Reciprocity
    • Staff
    • Employment and Salary Reports
    • Non-Discrimination Policy
  • Faculty & Staff Web
    faculty-staff-web
    • The Summit
    • Technology Services For Faculty and Staff
  • News
    news
    • CLE, Lectures, and Conferences
    • Media Experts Guide
    • Subscribe
  • Tech
    tech
    • Information Technology
    • Instructional Design
    • Learning Technology Lab
    • Tech Knowledge Base
  • Email Access
  • Canvas
  • Student Records
  • Office 365
  • Password Reset
  • VPN
  • Zoom
  • This website

Field Placement Opportunities

Residency Courses

Field Placements

  • Externships
    • Externship Courses
    • Independent Externships
  • Residencies
    • Residency Courses
    • Independent Residencies
  • Faculty and Staff
  • Forms and Guidelines
  • ‹ The Mitchell Hamline J.D.

Field Placements

875 Summit Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55105

651-290-6351
Fax: 651-290-6407

Room 254

Denise Roy

Director, Externships and Residencies

651-290-6385

denise.roy@mitchellhamline.edu

Jean Backes

Administrative Coordinator

651-290-6351

jean.backes@mitchellhamline.edu

Sue McBrayer

Administrative Coordinator

651-695-7672

sue.mcbrayer@mitchellhamline.edu

A Legal Residency is an exciting opportunity designed to provide a bridge from law school to real-world work as a lawyer. It combines two key components:

  1. an intensive, high-credit fieldwork experience doing work that is similar to the experience of a lawyer representing a client or engaging in other lawyering tasks under appropriate supervision, and
  2. an academic component, usually a two-credit seminar, in which the students and professor engage in goal setting, discussion, and reflection to enhance learning from the fieldwork and also work on lawyering skills such as interviewing, problem-solving, counseling, and advocacy.

The Legal Residency Program is only available to students in the last three semesters of law school. Combined with the law school’s nationally ranked clinical program, robust externship program, and partnership with the Minnesota Justice Foundation, the Legal Residency Program gives students unmatched opportunities to gain practical, real-world experience during each year of law school.

Legal Residency examples

Each spring semester, Mitchell Hamline offers specialized residency courses in the areas such as criminal law, family law, health law and solo practice.  Residency placements in a variety of other areas of law and work settings are available through the Independent Residency option.

  • Central Minnesota Legal Services
  • Colich & Associates
  • Family Law Referee, Hennepin County
  • Federal Public Defender’s Office
  • Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid (Minneapolis and St. Cloud)
  • Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office
  • Croix County District Attorney’s Office
  • United States Attorney’s Office
  • Waggoner Law Office

Collaborative Community Law Initiative

Incubator Residency

The Collaborative Community Law Initiative (CCLI) provides recent Mitchell Hamline graduates with the opportunity to develop community-based solo practices that serve low and moderate income clients in the supportive environment of a shared office space with on-site mentorship. Students interested in pursuing this opportunity after graduation are encouraged to apply for the residency in their last semester of law school. In addition to a full-semester immersion in legal practice, we plan to conduct a workshop seminar on creating a business plan for community law practice in conjunction with CCLI. If you have an interest in setting up a solo practice in an area that is not covered by our existing residencies in Criminal and Family Law, such as Immigration Law, Business Law, or general Civil Law, please so indicate on your application and we will work with you to develop a practice immersion plan that will help meet your goals.

For additional information, please visit the Collaborative Community Initiative website.

“Legal incubator for Mitchell Hamline graduates begins work” November 1, 2016

“I stepped out of ‘traditional’—and never regretted it.” January 2019, Bench & Bar of Minnesota (p. 13)

Credits and hours

Students gain 10–15 credits total for the fieldwork and academic components and must work at least three full days each week at their residency site. A 10-credit residency, including a 2-credit seminar, requires approximately 26 hours of fieldwork per week over 14 weeks. A 15-credit residency, including a 2-credit seminar, requires approximately 42 hours of fieldwork per week over 14 weeks.

Placement process & COVID information

Students are encouraged to find their own legal residency placements. Availability of placements may be limited and cannot be guaranteed due to Covid-19, but Mitchell Hamline faculty will also try to assist students in finding field placements (see specific contacts below). Fieldwork supervision must be provided by an attorney. Students should be prepared to begin work at their legal residency early in the semester.

Registration for the Legal Residency will be completed after the student’s placement has been confirmed. Students are advised to register for other courses until their legal residency is confirmed.  (If you are being placed by a course instructor, placements will be finalized and students will be notified of their placement before the start of the semester. In that situation, placements are not final until you receive written confirmation from the applicable faculty member.)

Due to Covid-19, spring 2021 placements may take place in-person or remotely as public health concerns and the needs of the placement require. Student health and wellness will be prioritized in all circumstances.

To Apply

If you are interested in a Legal Residency for the Spring 2021 semester, please contact one of the following faculty by Friday, November 13, 2020. Please include a copy of your resume.

• Criminal Law Residencies: Professor Ted Sampsell-Jones (ted.sampselljones@mitchellhamline.edu)
• Health Law Residencies: Professor Thad Pope (thaddeus.pope@mitchellhamline.edu )
• Business Law Residencies: Professor Leanne Fuith (leanne.fuith@mitchellhamline.edu)
• Solo Law Firm Practice Residencies: Adjunct Professor Karin Ciano (karin.ciano@mitchellhamline.edu)
• Residencies in All Other Areas: Professor Denise Roy (denise.roy@mitchellhamline.edu)

If you have application questions, please contact Externship Director Denise Roy (Denise.Roy@mitchellhamline.edu).

Questions?

Please contact Sue McBrayer (sue.mcbrayer@mitchellhamline.edu)
651-695-7672



  • About
  • Academics
  • Prospective Students
  • Faculty
  • Alumni
  • Library
  • Giving
  • Admitted Students
  • Current Students
  • Career Development
  • Faculty and Staff

The Mitchell Hamline J.D.

  • In the Classroom
  • In Simulated Practice
  • In the Real World

J.D. enrollment options

  • Full time
  • Part time, day or evening
  • Blended learning

Specialized Degree Programs

Journals and Law Reviews

Study Abroad

Centers & Institutes

  • Center for Law and Business
  • Dispute Resolution Institute
  • Health Law Institute
  • Institute to Transform Child Protection
  • Intellectual Property Institute
  • Native American Law and Sovereignty Institute
  • Public Health Law Center

Professional Legal Education

  • Cybersecurity and Privacy Law
  • Elder Law
  • Healthcare Administration
  • Human Resources Compliance

Special Programs

  • Expert Witness Training Academy
  • Marshall-Brennan Project
  • Minnesota Justice Foundation
  • Mitchell Hamline Fellows Program
  • Office of Academic Excellence
  • Self-Help Clinic
  • Sex Offense Litigation and Policy Resource Center
  • Upper Midwest Patent Assistance
  • World Without Genocide

General Information

  • ABA Required Disclosures
  • Student Complaint Process
  • Academic Calendars
  • Civic Engagement
  • CLE, Lectures, and Conferences
  • Department/Office Contacts
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • Directions, Maps, and Parking
  • Directories
  • Privacy Statement

Action Items

  • Ask a Question
  • Make a Gift
  • Subscribe to Email News
  • Jobs at Mitchell Hamline
  • Apply for Admission
  • Hire a Student or Graduate
  • Sexual Misconduct Policy
  • Sexual Misconduct Policy
  • ABA Required Disclosures

875 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55105-3076 1-888-962-5529 651-227-9171

Mitchell Hamline School of Law

© 2021 Mitchell Hamline School of Law in affiliation with Hamline University.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo
  • Linked In
  • Instagram