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Many law students dream of working in-house someday yet are in the dark about what that actually looks like.

Imagine spending your semester not just studying corporate law, but living it— shadowing attorneys at AT&T, the Dallas Mavericks, or Toyota; mastering AI tools that are transforming in-house practice; and learning to craft effective contracts from a Live Nation attorney. Our program is tailored for law students who want:

• Hands-On Experience: Complete 120 hours in a corporate legal department, tackling real projects like researching laws that impact a company's business, drafting a contact, assisting with the formation of a new business entity.  Plus, learn by observing - tour a factory to learn about the business, watch in-house attorneys negotiate a deal, and attend board meetings. 
• Learn from the Best: Engage with top in-house leaders through guest lectures, breakout sessions, and optional coffee meetups. Past speakers include general counsel from AT&T, ExxonMobil, Nationwide, and the Dallas Cowboys.
• Essential Skill-Building: Develop client-centered relational skills, solve real legal problems, and master cutting-edge AI tools employers prioritize. Plus, fulfill 4 of your 6 required experiential learning credits.
• Engaging and Fun Learning: Participate in "In-House Counsel Bingo" to gamify your externship milestones, lightning-round presentations to showcase your insights, and an end-of-semester networking reception.
• Proven Outcomes: Graduate with a polished resume, in-house connections, and a deep understanding of in-house roles.

The four-hour academic program is offered once a year during the fall semester. To be eligible, students must meet a minimum 3.000 GPA requirement and have completed the Business Enterprise course.

In the spring semester, we place international LL.M. students in companies where they can utilize their language skills and legal expertise.  These students take the corporate counsel course the preceding fall semester.

Classroom Component

In the classroom part of the program, students learn about substantive legal issues facing corporations, contract drafting, in-house career paths, legal research tools, and ethical responsibilities of in-house counsel. They also gain insights into how in-house departments are structured and the relationship between in-house and outside counsel and their business colleagues.  Moreover, guest lectures by in-house counsel provide valuable insights on topics like leadership and working with the C-Suite and board of directors.

In certain classes, students meet with their assigned faculty supervisor for small group discussions.

General counsel, like Mark Howard (second from left), EVP and Chief Legal Officer at Nationwide, guest lecture in some classes, adding another opportunity for students to learn from and interface with corporate counsel.

Externship Component

Students are assigned to corporate legal department based on their practice area and/or industry interests. The externship is designed to complement their studies at ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Dedman Law, allowing them to apply legal concepts in a real-world context.

Externships give students a unique insight into the day-to-day responsibilities of in-house attorneys and enable them to view the practice of law from the client's perspective. Throughout the placement, students have structured opportunities for performance assessment, feedback, and self-evaluation.

Student Requirements and Expectations

Students work approximately 10 hours per week for a 12-week period, with placements starting in late August and concluding by Thanksgiving. During this time, students will develop and practice essential skills for new lawyers, including:

• Written communication
• Listening
• Oral communication
• Legal research
• Factual investigation
• Contract review and drafting
• Interpersonal skills
• Problem-solving
• Understanding the business

Students will track and describe their time as they would in a law firm, submitting weekly timesheets.

Additionally, students will complete mid-semester and end-of-semester self-evaluations. While the specific lawyering experience will vary depending on the nature of each externship placement, the program consistently incorporates opportunities for feedback, reflection, and self-evaluation for all students, regardless of their placement.

Benefits

• Externships provide a frame of reference for students’ studies at ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Dedman Law, including what they learn in the classroom component of the program, and allow them to apply legal concepts in the real-world.
• Students witness first-hand how in-house attorneys create solutions, exercise judgment, and advise their clients as trusted legal advisors and business partners.
• Many of our students are interested in working in-house at some point in their careers. The program gives them a unique insight into what in-house practice is actually like.
• Corporate placements provide an opportunity to view the practice of law from the client’s perspective. A better understanding of client needs will make the students more effective legal advisors, whether they practice in firms or corporations.
• Students develop a better understanding of workplace issues, such as time management, workplace culture, professionalism, and giving and receiving feedback.
• Many externs report they gain confidence through the experience.
• Students develop valuable legal, professional and practical skills they will take with them and use throughout their careers.
• Placements cultivate students into adept thinkers, issue spotters, problem solvers, contract drafters, communicators, and valuable team members.
  
• Externships foster solid judgment, business acumen, and a business vocabulary for comprehensive professional growth.