Corporate Counsel Externship Program Began Fall ����

The Corporate Counsel Externship Program where students are paired with companies and their in-house legal work launched in the fall of 2022.

“In the last 20 years, the number of legal positions in-house has grown exponentially,” said Ben Parrish, ’82, who is leading the program. “In-house lawyers play increasingly important roles for companies. We want to make sure our students are aware of those opportunities and are able to develop the skills needed to be successful in that environment.”

Parrish practiced as an in-house lawyer for almost his entire career and retired from his position as Tractor Supply general counsel in 2021. He has served on Mercer Law’s board of visitors for several years but wanted to find other ways to give back to his alma mater after his retirement. He taught a class on corporate governance in the spring, and discovering an unmet need, he pitched the idea of the Corporate Counsel Externship after hearing about a similar program at another university.

“Many more alumni are now working at in-house counsel offices — much more than in the past, and I have many current students who express interest in doing that for a career,” said Timothy Floyd, Tommy Malone Distinguished Chair in Trial Advocacy and director of experiential education at Mercer Law. “So the chance to get real-world experience under the supervision of someone like Ben is really meeting a need that our students have identified.”

Thirteen corporations have signed up to work with students in the fall, including Tractor Supply, Home Depot, Aflac, FedEx, Coca-Cola, Atrium Healthcare, Delta Metals, Americold Logistics, and SWM International, Parrish said. The partners range from small, high-growth businesses to large, well-known companies.

Mercer Law continues to secure additional partners for the spring semester. If you or your company are interested in partnering with Mercer Law’s Corporate Counsel Externship program, contact Ben Parrish directly: parrish_bf@law.mercer.edu.

Mercer University School of Law successfully claimed the Attorney General’s Cup and retained its title as champion of the 11th annual Law School Food Frenzy, an intra-state law school competition to help support food banks in Georgia. This is the eighth time that Mercer has won the title.

During the friendly month-long contest against the State’s other law schools, Mercer raised $11,002.09, providing the equivalent of 44,008 meals for hungry kids, seniors, and families through the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank.

“Mercer Law has a rich history of philanthropy and alumni involvement, and that history was on full display during the annual Legal Food Frenzy competition,” said Wes Rahn, ’22, and 2021-2022 Student Bar Association Legal Food Frenzy chair. “The Middle Georgia community has welcomed countless students, faculty, and staff from Mercer with open arms. I’m grateful that we have the opportunity to show our appreciation by fighting to end hunger in the area.”