Charleston School of Law 3L Addison Lyle said the experiences she’s had beyond the classroom have been the greatest asset in preparing her for success in the practice of law.

There are no secrets or shortcuts to becoming a great lawyer. It comes down to hard work — and for law students, that means experiential learning.

Charleston School of Law Externship Program provides students with meaningful hands-on, practical legal experience in a variety of legal practice areas while earning academic credit. Student externs can learn and develop skills in the legal field.

Lyle, who served at the Berkeley County Public Defender’s Office over the summer, said: “You learn the law in the classroom, but until you are in a situation where you need to draft a document or meet with a client — that is something you don’t learn in the classroom – and I would have been lost had I not been able to … watch the process play out before it’s your responsibility.”

“Going to law school and being around the practice of law were two different things,” said Charleston Law alum Gabriel Mangold (’23). “What was cool was watching everything that I learned in the classroom really come to life and see how it really worked, and it solidified my education.”

Norberto Ortiz Colon is a 2L at Charleston School of Law and an Ackerman Fellow at Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services. He primarily served as an extern in family and housing law over the summer.

“It’s like a very well-built training program,” said Ortiz. “It’s built to take a law student and teach them as much as they can for six weeks and have them learn from that experience.”

“I decided to do an externship because I wanted hands-on practical experience,” said Charleston Law graduate Jennifer Leffew (’23). “I was getting a lot of good information from classes and wanted to apply it. It’s a great opportunity to network with attorneys, get valuable feedback, and improve your skills.”

Sianna Harvey (2L) served at the United States Bankruptcy Court, South Carolina, this past summer. “That experience was so valuable,” she said. “I think I learned more from my externship than I did from the textbook. You will also learn a lot about yourself through the work experience.”

Charleston School of Law experiential learning programs will expose students to the operation of the legal system, enhancing practical skills and personal skills such as professionalism and confidence. Explore more about our Experiential Learning opportunities at charlestonlaw.edu/experiential-learning.