Real-world opportunities for learning and success exist at Memphis Law because of our strong place in the community and our partnerships within the Mid-South. These connections help make Memphis an even better place, while giving our students hands-on experience in a variety of realworld settings. From students working with the city to remove blighted properties throughout Memphis, to partnerships that allow children and families to find legal solutions to medical problems, and even a policy lab designed to help students examine and influence the law itself, Memphis Law is invested in broadening our students educational experience in innovative new ways, many of which can only be found because of our Experiential Learning Program with externships and our legal clinics. These real-world opportunities prepare students for success after law school like nothing else can.
Externship Opportunities
Judicial Externships: Federal Courts • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee • U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Tennessee • U.S. Immigration Court Judicial Externships: Tennessee State Courts • Tennessee Supreme Court • Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals • Shelby County Circuit Court Criminal Justice • U.S. Attorney’s Office • Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office • Shelby County Public Defender’s Office • State of Tennessee Office of the Attorney General • University of Memphis Public Safety Institute Government • Memphis City Attorney’s Office Litigation Unit Transactional Unit • Shelby County Airport Authority • U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Chief Counsel, Memphis office • Equal Employment Opportunity Commission – Hearings Unit
Health & Medical • St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital • Baptist Memorial Healthcare Corporation • Medtronic Corporation - Office of Ethics & Compliance • Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare • Regional One Health • Robert Wood Johnson, Neighborhood Preservation Inc./Urban Law • Youth Villages Community Legal Services • Community Legal Center – Immigrant Justice Program • Latino Memphis • Legal Aid of Arkansas • Memphis Area Legal Services Consumer Unit Education Law/Partnership for Educational Advocacy and Parity Family Law Unit Low Income Taxpayer Unit Mid-South Immigration Advocates In-House Externships • Ducks Unlimited • Orion Federal Credit Union • University of Memphis Office of University Counsel • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers • FedEx
“The skills, experience and people met through an externship are invaluable. The job market is brutal and employers know that a new lawyer will have a steep learning curve to overcome before adding any value to the position. I truly believe this experience goes a long way in the interview process and gives those with externships a large leap over those who have no real-world experience. I was not the smartest person in my class, but I tried to place myself in positions to gain experience and this has allowed me to obtain the goal I had prior to law school.” -Tyler Parks ('13) Assistant District Attorney, Blount County District Attorney’s Office
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