Field Clinics and Externships at Cardozo School of Law

EXTERNSHIPS AT CARDOZO LAW

YOU’LL BE PRACTICE–READY

Each year, more than 250 second and third-year and LL.M. students gain invaluable real-world experience participating in Cardozo’s externship program, in a wide range of practice areas.

They take advantage of the city’s vast opportunities, applying classroom learning to cases and problems that arise in practice.

Cardozo Law’s Field Clinics and Externship opportunities provide a real-world edge in a competitive legal landscape. You will experience the adrenaline of working in the legal field, as your sharpen your skills and learn from practitioners in top nonprofit, government and private sector offices.

You will gain knowledge and insight that will provide you with a decisive advantage toward your future success as a lawyer.

Students work under the direct supervision of an experienced supervising attorney or judge for a semester or summer, performing substantive legal work. They take a co-requisite seminar taught by an expert practitioner, examining their fieldwork against an academic backdrop and looking critically at the issues their work raises.

OUR EXTERNSHIP PROGRAMS PUBLIC SECTOR EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM Students extern in one of the hundreds of nonprofit organizations in the New York area, working with underrepresented groups such as the elderly, the homeless, immigrants and juveniles; in the chambers of a federal or state judge; or in one of many government agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the New York State Assembly, the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor or the New York City Human Resources Administration.

Reflect on where you are now—and where you want to go through experiential learning opportunities at Cardozo Law.

HEYMAN/ACCA IN-HOUSE COUNSEL EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM Students are introduced to the practice of law in a corporate law department, working under the supervision of in-house attorneys. They gain insight into the intersection of business and law.

Externships reflect such diverse corporate settings as Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Bank of China, Michael Kors and CBS Corporation.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM Students gain experience in the practice of intellectual property law in a law firm setting by working with industry attorneys on substantive legal issues in areas of trademark, copyright and patent prosecution.

REAL ESTATE EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM Students work in real estate law in the private firm context, at the elbow of seasoned mentors.

They perform such tasks as attending and preparing for closings and client meetings, interacting with real estate teams, preparing closing books and working on various documents/agreements, conducting legal research and writing, and participating in negotiations and site visits.

PRIVATE SECTOR EXTERNSHIP PROGRAM Students get hands-on legal experience working at a small to mid-sized law firm under the close supervision of a skilled licensed attorney. Students learn about small and mid-sized law firm culture and dynamics while gaining exposure to diverse practice areas.

FIELD CLINICS AND EXTERNSHIPS

“The Consumer Rights Field Clinic was a great and practical experience for me. I learned a lot about advocacy in both the field placement and the seminar portion. The best part is that the clinic offers you the unique opportunity to use that knowledge to advocate for the consumer rights of fellow New Yorkers.”

SEAN DAVIS ’19

CONSUMER RIGHTS FIELD CLINIC

Hands-On Learning at Cardozo Law Think Critically & Work Collaboratively Develop Contacts & Learn from Mentors Litigate & Advocate Promote Justice

MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

BENJAMIN N. CARDOZO SCHOOL OF LAW

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YESHIVA UNIVERSITY

www.cardozo.yu.edu

BENJAMIN N. CARDOZO SCHOOL OF LAW

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YESHIVA UNIVERSITY

FIELD CLINICS AT CARDOZO LAW

FIELD CLINIC OFFERINGS

Cardozo Law’s Field Clinics Program offers students unique opportunities to participate in the practice of law under the direct supervision of experienced mentor-attorneys. Students work with individual clients, assist with impact litigation, contribute to policy initiatives, engage in community legal education and support legislative advocacy. Cardozo Law’s Externship Program partners students with selected dynamic nonprofit and government law offices throughout the New York City metropolitan region.

Field Clinics are semester- or year-long intensive courses in which expert practitioners work with a cohort of students in the field and teach a focused classroom seminar. Field Clinic participants are part of a cohesive team of fellow Cardozo students. This is a competitive program where host organizations seek good matches for their offices by interviewing student candidates.

In their field placements, students participate in the representation of clients with a myriad of profound legal needs. In their seminar classes, they collaboratively grapple with the complex issues their fieldwork raises.

Their work outside the classroom is then placed in an academic context, where students explore writing, research and ethics. Field Clinics require students to draw on interdisciplinary modes of problem solving.

Cardozo’s Field Clinics are at the forefront of legal education. The American Association of Law Schools (AALS) has featured Cardozo Law’s pioneering Field Clinics Program as an innovative practice in legal education.

(VARY BY SEMESTER)

APPROPRIATE DISPUTE RESOLUTION (ADR) FIELD CLINIC During the course of the semester, students extern at an organization that specializes in offering conflict resolution services in the public or private sector. They learn about unique forms of mediation by conducting research, working with clients, observing live sessions, administering services and gaining valuable exposure to the field.

ART LAW FIELD CLINIC Art law practice raises unique legal questions that arise in handling art objects and managing cultural institutions, and surrounding responsible stewardship and ownership. Students extern with various arts-related institutions, including the Whitney Museum, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Christie’s and the New York Foundation for the Arts.

CONSUMER RIGHTS FIELD CLINIC Assisting in protecting the rights of low-income consumers against improper practices by the burgeoning third-party debt collection industry, students extern at selected legal services offices with advocates who are at the forefront of city- and state-wide consumer protection representation and reform.

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES FIELD CLINIC The mission of the New York State Department of Financial Services is to reform the regulation of financial services in New York to keep pace with the rapid and dynamic evolution of these industries.

Students immerse themselves in the regulatory arena, providing counsel to division supervisors concerning the department’s authority and strategizing on regulation of financial products and services.

FEDERAL CRIMINAL PROSECUTION FIELD CLINIC Students are placed in the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern

“Cardozo School of Law’s field clinics and externships programs offer exciting experiential learning opportunities for students to do substantive legal work in the field while taking a co-requisite seminar to enhance the learning process. Students immerse themselves in the skills, doctrine and ethics of real-world practice while developing meaningful professional relationships.”

JENNIFER KIM | DIRECTOR OF EXTERNSHIPS

District of New York, one of the busiest and most respected prosecutorial offices in the federal system.

Students work closely with assistant United States attorneys on a wide range of criminal matters, including the prosecution of terrorism, organized crime and public corruption.

HEALTH CARE REFORM FIELD CLINIC Students are placed with aggressive, high-profile health law offices helping low-income New Yorkers navigate health insurance claims and appeals. Through practice and study, they critically examine the fragmented patchwork of insurance programs available for these consumers.

IMMIGRATION LAW FIELD CLINIC Students extern in community-based nonprofit organizations assisting in direct client services, including applications for: asylum, permanent residence (including self-petitions by victims of domestic violence), T visas (for trafficking victims), U visas (for victims of crime) and U.S. citizenship.

BRONX DEFENDERS FAMILY DEFENSE FIELD CLINIC In this field clinic, students examine child welfare law and policy, and gain litigation experience representing low-income families in high-stakes child neglect proceedings. The Bronx Defenders’ unique model of holistic representation offers an ideal setting for students to be exposed to this emerging public defense field.

NEW YORK CITY LAW DEPARTMENT APPEALS DIVISION FIELD CLINIC The NYC Law Department Appeals Division handles appeals from virtually all of the law department’s litigating divisions and from all city agencies. Students are assigned real appellate cases to research and draft from start to finish on a variety of civil matters, including appeals from Article 78 proceedings, motions for summary judgment, abuse and neglect petitions, and juvenile delinquency orders.

NEW YORK CITY LAW DEPARTMENT JUVENILE DELINQUENCY FIELD CLINIC The Family Court Division of the New York City Law Department prosecutes juvenile delinquency cases to ensure that juveniles who commit delinquent acts are both held accountable and afforded an opportunity for rehabilitation. Students assist with and conduct interviews of witnesses, draft

“As long as I’ve been interested in practicing law, I’ve been interested in the law as it pertains to business. Externing at Thomson Reuters’ Financial and Risk division this summer was the perfect opportunity for me to gain practical legal and business skills in the setting of a large corporation. The superb training I received, in addition to the general upbeat and positive culture at the company, led me to ask my supervisor if I could return again this fall. I am confident that the skills I’ve acquired from my work at Thomson Reuters will prepare me for future business law endeavors.”

AARON BRETTER ’18

THOMSON REUTERS’ FINANCIAL AND RISK DIVISION

accusatory petitions and other pleadings, observe court proceedings and assist attorneys with trial preparation.

NEW YORK CITY LAW DEPARTMENT LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT LAW FIELD CLINIC The NYC Law Department Labor and Employment Law Division handles a wide variety of matters, including claims of First Amendment retaliation; gender, race, age, and disability discrimination; and violations of the Equal Pay Act. Students work on and study all aspects of civil litigation, including researching and drafting legal memoranda, preparing for and observing witness depositions, and participating in court proceedings.

NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FIELD CLINIC (SOCIAL JUSTICE DIVISION) In the NYS Office of the Attorney General—one of the largest and most powerful state legal offices in the country—students work in the Civil Rights, Labor, Environmental Protection, and other bureaus of the Social Justice Division to protect New Yorkers’ legal rights, and study the office’s investigative, affirmative and defensive litigation fronts.

SPECIAL EDUCATION LAW AND ADVOCACY FIELD CLINIC Students work at Advocates for Children and collaborating organizations, representing and assisting with cases on behalf of low-income families seeking appropriate educational services.

At the same time, they study the history and practice of special education law and gain understanding of the process of representing families of students with disabilities.

TAX LAW FIELD CLINIC Students work in low-income taxpayer centers and with selected private practitioners, representing and assisting with cases on behalf of low-income clients. They learn how to analyze complex documentation, articulate tax concepts to low-income clients, and advocate for these clients. They study such topics as tax return basics, collections, IRS examinations and Tax Court representation.

“The New York State Attorney General Social Justice Division Field Clinic gave me the opportunity to fully immerse myself in the world of litigation. Supervising attorneys helped broaden my skill set by teaching me how to conduct depositions, review discovery materials, and write court documents, among many other things;and the clinic seminar allowed me to reflect on what it means to work in the public sector and how the Attorney General’s office pursues and promotes social justice.”

JORDAN COYNE ’19

NEW YORK STATE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FIELD CLINIC (SOCIAL JUSTICE DIVISION)