South Africa Externship Application Process
Each student proposing an externship program must secure, in advance of submitting a proposal, a faculty sponsor who will grade the research paper for academic credit. After the student has secured a faculty sponsor, he or she must submit a complete South Africa Externship Application Package. A complete package consists of both paper forms and electronic documents.
Prior to applying, it is recommended that students read the 2009 Application Memo. Applicants should be prepared to adhere to the limitations and restrictions in this memo.
The Application Form, Placement Preference Sheet, and Transcript Release Form should be hand-delivered, along with the South Africa Externship Application Checklist, to the Office of Student Affairs (307 HH).
Electronic documents for the application package include the student's Essay of Interest, Resume, and a Cover Letter for each Preferred Placement, as well as the Faculty Sponsor statement. These electronic submissions should be sent as email attachments to Trudy Feldkamp (tfeldkam@umich.edu) to complete the student's application package.
The essay provides an opportunity for the student to persuade the Law School that the externship will enable the student to fulfill educational objectives that cannot be achieved through Law School classes or in the ordinary course of professional opportunities available to the student. It also provides a way for host sites to evaluate and distinguish student applications, as well as develop a sense of the student's background, interest areas, and expertise. Students are advised to highlight their particular strengths, relevant experiences, and practice area interests. Students should also include how the externship builds on work he or she has done, or how it will contribute to the student's educational pursuits.
The essay of interest must be submitted as an email attachment to Trudy Feldkamp (tfeldkam@umich.edu) to be included as part of the application package.
A cover letter must be provided for each preferred placement identified by the student. The letter should state the specific reasons why the student is interested in working at that particular site.
Cover letters must be submitted as email attachments to Trudy Feldkamp (tfeldkam@umich.edu) to be included as part of the application package.
The faculty sponsor must commit to supervising the student's research paper. The Faculty Sponsor Statement should be submitted as an email message to Trudy Feldkamp (tfeldkam@umich.edu) to be included as part of the application package.
The deadline for submitting complete application packages is set by Dean Gregory's office each year. It is the student's responsibility to make sure that all parts of the externship proposal have been received by this deadline.