Fall 2026 Student Guide
Student Guide to required assignments, hours, submissions, and feedback
Start Here: Use this guide together with the syllabus and course announcements. Exact due dates come from the syllabus. If an instruction changes, follow my most recent written direction.
What you must complete
| REQUIREMENT | WHAT YOU MUST DO | WHEN |
|---|---|---|
| Learning Plan | Write 3 specific goals, list activities and a way to measure progress; discuss with your supervising attorney; both sign. | Beginning of term |
| Journal 1 | Complete the initial skills self-assessment and initial reflection (minimum 250 words). | Per syllabus |
| Journal 2 | Submit the criminal-process and midterm reflection (minimum 500 words). | Around midterm |
| Midterm records | Send the timesheet through midterm with student and supervisor signatures; ensure the supervisor midterm review is completed and discussed. | Midterm |
| Journal 3 | Submit the focused criminal-practice reflection (minimum 500 words). | Per syllabus |
| Journal 4 | Repeat the skills self-assessment and submit the final reflection and development plan (minimum 1,000 words). | End of term |
| Final records | Send the complete final signed timesheet and supervisor final evaluation; complete the placement evaluation in REVS and notify the professor. | End of term |
How to submit work
- Email each assignment directly to me. Do not submit in Canvas.
- Use this subject line: Last Name – Assignment Name – Criminal Law Externship.
- Name the file clearly: LastName_FirstName_AssignmentName. Submit PDF only. Even the information in Excel needs to be converted into a PDF that is easy to read.
- Submit by the deadline listed in the syllabus.
Hours and timesheets
Required total: 42.5 hours for each registered externship credit. Multiply your credits by 42.5 to determine your semester total. For example, 3 credits require 127.5 total hours and 4 credits require 170 total hours.
- Update the workbook on each day you work; do not recreate the semester from memory.
- Record time in quarter-hour increments: .25, .50, .75, or 1.00.
- Use one activity code per line. Put separate tasks on separate lines and distinguish research, writing, meetings, observation, investigation, and other work.
- Note meetings with your supervising attorney. Use matter descriptions that comply with your placement’s confidentiality rules.
- You may count up to 12 total hours of course preparation – journals, goals, assigned reading, and similar work – toward the semester requirement. Record it as Code 12, Other, and label it “course preparation.”
- Do not count class meeting time.
- Lunch, receptions, or other out-of-office time with your supervising attorney counts, if you are discussing placement related matters or career development.
- At midterm and at the end of the semester, type or sign your name and obtain your supervisor’s signature on the applicable reporting periods before submission.
Learning plan and goals
Choose three goals that are specific enough to guide your work. At least one should address a lawyering skill that your supervisor can observe. For each goal, list likely assignments or activities and state how you will measure progress. Discuss the plan with your supervisor, revise it if needed, and obtain both signatures.
- Examples: case evaluation for plea negotiations, legal research, drafting court-facing documents, investigation and obtaining records, client communication, oral advocacy, ethical judgment, case organization, or professional reliability.
Supervisor feedback and evaluations
- Midterm: schedule a feedback meeting. Your supervisor completes the Mid-term Review & Feedback form and discusses it with you. Ensure the completed form reaches me by the course deadline.
- Final: give your supervisor the Final Evaluation form early enough to complete it. Review the feedback together. Submit the signed form to me by email.
- Student placement evaluation: complete the evaluation in REVS and notify the professor that it is complete.
Confidentiality applies to every course submission
Do not include client names, witness names, initials that identify a person, cause or case numbers, exact addresses, confidential discovery, criminal-history information, protected reports, sealed or juvenile material, grand-jury information, privileged communications, nonpublic strategy, or facts detailed enough to identify a matter.
- Use neutral labels such as “a client” or “a witness.”
- Do not attach or paste work product, discovery, recordings, photographs, transcripts, screenshots, or records.
- Tell your supervisor that journals are required and follow any placement-specific limits. If uncertain, ask before submitting.
Important. Submitting material to a course does not authorize disclosure of protected information. When in doubt, omit the facts and reflect on the professional lesson instead
When to contact Me
Contact me promptly – do not wait for the next journal – if you have concerns about hours, supervision, the kind or amount of work, confidentiality, ethics, discrimination or harassment, safety, or your ability to complete the placement. You may describe the concern initially without identifying a client or matter.