DUKE IN D.C. & EXTERNSHIPS

GO BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

Duke Law students have numerous opportunities to apply the skills they’re learning in real-world settings. Through the externship program, students receive academic credit while gaining valuable experience under the supervision of a licensed attorney in a governmental or nonprofit setting. The semester-long DUKE IN D.C. program combines a semester-long externship placement in Washington, D.C., with a weekly seminar course — and a substantial research paper — taught by Duke Law faculty. This integrated externship model allows students to engage in hands-on practice and develop an invaluable network while engaging in rigorous coursework with law and policy experts.

LOCAL EXTERNSHIP NETWORK

Students have the opportunity to earn academic credit and build connections in Durham and the Triangle area through the Law School’s externship program by working under the guidance of attorneys in local government agencies, nonprofit organizations, technology firms, and more.

“The best part of the work was the client interaction. It is an amazing — but simultaneously terrifying— feeling to realize that a person in a difficult situation is willing to place their trust in a law student who has not yet completed two full years of law school. One client even told me that that particular day was ‘the best day of her life’ because I was able to get her case dismissed without leave.”

CHRIS MEADOWS ’21 completed an externship with the Durham Public Defender’s Office.

RECENT LOCAL EXTERNSHIP PLACEMENTS

• Duke University Athletics • Durham District Attorney’s Office • Justice Matters • Land Loss Prevention Project • N.C. Board of Elections • N.C. Solicitor General • Red Hat • SAS Institute

RECENT DUKE IN D.C. EXTERNSHIP PLACEMENTS

• ACLU National Prison Project • Public Defender Service for District of Columbia • U.S. Department of Justice • U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform • U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee • World Bank

The semester I spent doing Duke in D.C. was my favorite semester of law school. I loved having the real world as my classroom. Through my externship and the speakers invited to class, I got to meet lawyers with wildly varying careers but who were all passionate and dedicated to public service.”

ALEX TATE ’20 worked with the House Oversight Committee’s Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy as part of the Duke in D.C. program.