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Abstract

In this article we analyze the historical development of a supervised externship program at American University, Washington College of Law ("WCL"). We trace the origins of our particular pedagogic goals and program design to the history and culture of our institution, in the hopes that this form of self-reflection will be useful to others making their own choices about these matters. Through this self-study we have realized that - contrary to the way clinical literature often conceives of program development - we did not start by articulating a complete set of goals, around which we then built a program. Instead, goal formation and program development occurred together in a far more complex, interactive process. The steps we took in building a program led to the identification of our pedagogical goals, just as articulating those goals pointed the way towards next steps in program design. We describe below the externship program that emerged from this process, highlighting pedagogical choices that may be of interest to others. In brief summary, some of the salient features of our program are as follows. We conceive of externship seminars, taught for full teaching credit by a broad cross-section of permanent, full-time faculty at the Washington College of Law, as the centerpiece of our program. It is these seminar experiences, rather than students' work in the field, that provide the forum in which learning takes place. Students bring their field experiences back to the law school as the "text" for critical analysis. In this respect, our program model may have similarities to those of some other schools. It differs, however, from the "ecological" learning model about which Brook Baker and others at Northeastern University have written extensively, which emphasizes the placement as the primary site of learning.

Publication Title

Clinical Law Review

Volume

5

Issue

2

First Page

403

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