During the winter 2024 semester, several students took advantage of the opportunity to expand their learning beyond the walls of the Law Quad and practice in one of the international externship programs the Law School offers. Whether it was working on human rights issues in Geneva or helping migrants in South Africa, each experience expanded students’ legal knowledge while providing the confidence that comes with experiential learning.
“Students benefit from these externships in many ways,” said Professor Amy Sankaran, ’01, externship program director. “We have amazing classes at Michigan Law, but it is called ‘the practice of law’ for a reason—because one cannot become expert at it without practice. Externships and any other sort of experiential learning, such as clinics and simulations, give students a jump start on that practice.”
In addition to domestic externships, students have traveled overseas via programs in Geneva, India, and South Africa. Another option is for students to create their own externships in a country of their choice.
Anna Nicol, an adjunct clinical assistant professor of law and the coordinator for the Geneva Externship Program, said she has gained much from overseeing the Michigan Law students.
“It is such a privilege to learn from the students about their experiences as they immerse themselves in work at international organizations, civil society organizations, and permanent missions in the epicenter of international law,” she said. “And watching them make connections in our weekly roundtables between their own work and that of their fellow externs, deepening their understanding of what it means to be a lawyer in Geneva, is incredibly gratifying.”
Read further to learn more about some students’ externship experiences, in their own words.
GENEVA
SOUTH AFRICA