Field Placement Program
Students receive academic credit for working with supervising attorneys in public interest organizations or government agencies. There are presently 100 Bay Area field placements on the Law School’s Approved Placement List. These field placements offer work in many different areas, including civil rights, consumer protection, criminal, employment, environmental, health, housing, poverty, regulatory, and women's rights.
There are 3 components to the Field Placement Program, which are supervised by the Field Placement Director, Sue Schechter. She is located in 489 Simon Hall and can be contacted by phone at (510) 643-7387 or by email at sschechter@law.berkeley.edu. Questions and initial inquiries may also be directed to the Program Assistant, Stephanie Dorton, in 344 North Addition, (510) 643-2256, sdorton@law.berkeley.edu.
Basic Rules:
Before exploring externship opportunities at outside agencies, students are encouraged to explore the possibility of enrolling in the “in-house” clinics and the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC). These programs, unlike externships, are directly related to courses taught at Boalt, and the course instructors supervise or guide you throughout the clinical semester. Examples of the clinics or practicum include: Death Penalty Clinic, Domestic Violence Law Practicum, Environmental Law Practicum, the International Human Rights Law Clinic, and the Samuelson Center for Law and Technology Clinic
If students choose to do a field placement, they are advised to first consult with the Field Placement Director to discuss their plans and goals.
