ADR Externships
The ADR Externship Program through CNDR is for advanced dispute resolution students who want an in-depth practical learning experience.
Through the Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution (CNDR), students may participate in externship placements for credit. The ADR Externship provides a valuable opportunity for experiential learning through research, process observation and assessment, written analysis, supervised assignments, and reflective learning in a real world setting. Read on to learn more about taking the course, or supervising as a placement host.
About the Course
The ADR Externship allows students to work with dispute resolution professionals to see ADR and organizational processes and programs in operation. Under the guidance of a placement supervisor, students take primary responsibility for ADR-related assignments, projects, and activities. Depending on the placement, students may have the opportunity to observe and participate in ADR processes, to attend meetings of practice groups, to engage in research and draft memoranda, program manuals, and protocols, to interact with parties, and to evaluate program efficacy. Students must apply to and be accepted for the externship by the placement supervisor. The Externship requires students to meet high levels of professionalism in all aspects of their fieldwork. Students must meet all work requirements set by the placement supervisor.
About the Instructor
The ADR Externship is currently overseen by the Center for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution (CNDR) at UC Law SF.
Questions? Please email CNDR.
Externship FAQ
The 1-unit academic component consists of a weekly class which focuses on dispute resolution theories, models, and standards, ethical responsibilities of practitioners, supervision and other placement issues, workplace bias, and public policy developments. Students have regular reading and written assignments, including a reflective journal, self-assessments of skills, and periodic self-evaluations. Site-specific topics and issues may also be discussed in the seminar.
Students must work at least 12-20 hours per week for 12 weeks at an approved placement site. Placement supervisors must sign a Supervision Agreement and provide a mid-term and final evaluation of the extern’s performance. The Externship professor conducts a mid-term site visit and meets with the supervisor to discuss the extern’s work.
Students receive 5 units total. The 1-unit non-GPA class and 4-unit fieldwork component, graded pass-fail, must be taken concurrently.
Open to 4th, 5th, or 6th semester UC Law SF students.
2 ADR courses (1 introductory and 1 advanced), or permission of the Instructor; the Mediation Clinic or 3-credit Mediation Course are highly recommended; additional prerequisites may be required by the placement.
To enroll, please email CNDR prior to the semester. Students must meet personally with the Instructor to apply.
Sample Placements
Some of the places UC Law SF students have externed:
- San Francisco Superior Court
- The California Mediation and Conciliation Service
- SEEDS Community Resolution Center
- Community Boards San Francisco
- Arts Arbitration and Mediation Service at California Lawyers for the Arts
- US District Court for the Northern District of California ADR Program
- San Francisco ACCESS Program
- United States Deptartent of Justice Community Relations Service
- Alameda County Superior Court ADR Program
Supervision Best Practices For Placement Hosts
There must be a lawyer at the placement to directly supervise the extern student. The placement is responsible for providing:
- On-site supervision
- To assist with student time records
- To provide a mid-term and final evaluation of the extern
We welcome reading suggestions from the on-site supervisor. The ADR Externship Coordinator or Instructor will make at least one on-site visit prior to or during the semester and is available throughout the semester to assist the student and the on-site supervisor.
Several years ago, Bay Area law schools formed BACE, Bay Area Consortium on Externships. BACE has worked to develop joint evaluations and standards for the supervision of externs in their placements including the BACE Manual for Extern Supervisors. This manual has been developed with the participation of BACE member schools and reflects the ABA requirements for the conduct of externship programs.
The manual articulates the standards we expect our extern supervisors to follow and highlights best practices in extern supervision. We recognize and appreciate the demands on your time and understand that supervision of a law student adds to your duties and responsibilities.
The quality of a student’s experience is directly related to the quality of the supervision provided. Students in an effective externship will learn in at least four important areas:
- Improve their legal skills
- Increase their knowledge of a substantive area of the law
- Understand the mission and operation of a particular organization, government agency, court, or non-profit
- Assist law students in developing their professional identities
The Clinical Legal Education Association (CLEA) Externship Committee has also created a series of videos to support extern placement supervisors: