Field Placements
Field placements at UConn Law allow students to earn credit while gaining practical legal experience working with private sector, government and nonprofit agencies. The Semester in DC program provides students with unique opportunities to live, work, study and make connections in the nation's capital. The Individual Field Placement program empowers students to create their own internship opportunities in accordance with their individual professional goals. Other externship programs provide entry to the Connecticut legislature, state prosecutors' offices and the world of energy and environmental law. Most field placements include a substantial classroom or seminar component to enhance and broaden students' experiences.
Semester in DC
Students in the Semester in DC program live, work and study in the nation's capital, earning academic credit for working nearly full-time at congressional offices, federal agencies and non-profit legal organizations in Washington, D.C. The program offers externships tailored to a wide range of skill sets, and evening seminars give students the basic tools they need to succeed.
CEEL Field Placement
Students in the Center for Energy & Environmental Law Field Placement work as interns at agencies and organizations in the environmental and energy field, including the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, the Connecticut legislature’s Environment Committee, law firms’ energy and environmental practice groups, the Office of Consumer Counsel, energy regulators and utility companies, and other environmental and renewable-energy focused organizations.
"I had the opportunity to work in the legal office at the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection through the CEEL clinic. It goes without saying that I gained valuable real world experience working on environmental and energy issues. But I also learned a lot about the day-to-day operation of state agencies and had the opportunity to work on a few employment and constitutional issues of the sort that an agency’s attorneys have to address to keep the agency running smoothly. " – Timothy Bleasdale '14
Legislative Field Placement
Students receive training and practical experience in the legislative process. Each student is assigned to a legislative committee, an attorney working in a Democratic or Republican caucus, a non-partisan office, an executive office or the office of an individual legislator in the Connecticut General Assembly, according to the student's preference.
State’s Attorney’s Field Placement
Students placed in State’s Attorney’s offices around Connecticut assist in prosecuting criminal and motor vehicle matters in Superior Court. Working under the supervision of experienced prosecutors, students will represent the State of Connecticut at court hearings, including arraignments, hearings, jury selection and trials. Students may be involved in all aspects of the prosecutorial process, including legal research, writing, presenting legal arguments in court, communicating with victims, interviewing and preparing witnesses for court hearings, and engaging in pretrial negotiations with pro se defendants, attorneys and judges.
Individual Field Placement
Students in Individual Field Placements set their own paths to gain practical experience with a customized field placement that fits their professional aspirations. Students earn academic credit working as interns with legal aid providers, public policy advocates, public sector law departments and administrative agencies, in-house counsel offices, prosecutors and public defenders offices, law firms and judicial chambers. Faculty members guide students in reflecting on their fieldwork experience.