How does Mitchell Hamline coordinate externships for students who are studying all over the country?<\/p>\n
![\"Taylor_Levy\"](\"\/\/mitchellhamline.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2017\/01\/Taylor_Levy-1-300x211.jpg\")
<\/a>Taylor Levy is externing at an El Paso, Texas, law firm.<\/p><\/div>\n
First, the students seek out an attorney they want to work with in their own community, in a legal setting that\u2019s best aligned with their career goals. That process also gives students a head start on cultivating their own legal network.<\/p>\n
Then, Mitchell Hamline\u2019s Career and Professional Development office works with the attorney to ensure students will receive a high-quality externship experience.<\/p>\n
After that, the supervising attorney and the student work out the details of the semester-long externship.<\/p>\n
The effort shows that Mitchell Hamline is committed to providing practical legal experience to all students, according to Andy Lehner \u201907 (WMCL)<\/strong>, assistant director of Mitchell Hamline’s Career and Professional Development office.<\/p>\n \u201cHands-on experience is critical in preparing lawyers to be lawyers,\u201d Lehner said. \u201cWe\u2019ve made it a priority to give every Mitchell Hamline student the opportunity to gain hands-on experience through externships, and the Hybrid Program students are no exception.\u201d<\/p>\n Professor Ann Juergens <\/strong>developed the first externship course for students in the program. Juergens said the externships go beyond giving students workplace experience.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the law in a different context than in the classroom,\u201d Juergens said. \u201cThey learn something about themselves in the workplace. That\u2019s going to help them choose work they\u2019ll be happy and satisfied with in the long run.\u201d<\/p>\n Juergens is impressed with the quality of the externships students have been able to coordinate so far.<\/p>\n \u201cIt speaks to the creativity and energy of the students in the HYBRID J.D. program,\u201d Juergens said. \u201cThey had to go out and find these externships and develop these opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n Bethany Lambert<\/strong>, 3L, is involved in an externship at CHRISTUS Health<\/a>, a hospital chain in the southern United States. Lambert\u2019s externship is based in San Antonio, Texas, where she\u2019s working in the compliance and privacy division.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m shadowing the staff and contributing to a variety of projects,\u201d she said. \u201cI am going to meetings, trainings, and will be participating in auditing, among other opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n Lambert hasn\u2019t decided what she wants to do after graduation, but she enjoys working in health law and compliance and hopes her externship helps her become better at communicating compliance standards and regulations to hospital staff.<\/p>\n Peter Anderson\u2019s <\/strong>externship is in the corporate and business legal transactions division at Orbis Corporation in Oconomowoc, Wis.<\/p>\n Anderson, a 3L, is working with the company\u2019s general counsel to learn the day-to-day responsibilities of a lawyer in the business world.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s exciting to be able to do activities that involve lawyers outside of academia,\u201d Anderson said. \u201cAnd to be able to use what we have learned in the classroom and apply it outside the walls of the school.\u201d<\/p>\n After graduation, Anderson hopes to work in criminal law prosecution.<\/p>\n