Lawyering Requirement

In their second or any subsequent year of law school, students must complete one of the following experiential learning opportunities involving actual legal work under appropriate supervision. A Lawyering Requirement Form must be completed and turned in to the Registrar’s Office to receive credit for fulfilling this graduation requirement.    

In order for legal work to qualify, a student must work at least 75 hours under the supervision of a licensed lawyer. At least half of this work must have been doing legal tasks such as legal research, legal writing (such as writing memoranda and briefs), drafting (such as drafting motions, other court documents, contracts or wills, or other documents for clients), interacting with clients (such as interviewing them or attending meetings with them), or attending strategy meetings about how to assist clients. The other half must have given you the opportunity to observe the work of lawyers. Please note that some student legal work requires a legal intern license. If you have any question about your position qualifying for the Lawyering Requirement or requiring a legal intern license, consult with a member of the Center for Professional Development in advance.

In order for law-related work to qualify, a student must work at least 75 hours in a setting in which having a law degree would be an advantage such as a human resources department of a corporation, a compliance department of a company, or a nonprofit organization at which you do advocacy or policy work. If you plan to meet your Lawyering Requirement in this way, you must get the position approved by an authorized representative of the Center for Professional Development in advance of doing the qualifying work.

The following are approved experiences that count towards the Lawyering Requirement:

• Ohio Innocence Project
• Domestic Violence and Civil Protection Order Clinic
• Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic
• Indigent Defense Clinic
• Sixth Circuit Clinic
• Legal Externship
• Judicial Externship
• Brandery, or other summer entrepreneurship experience offered by the law school
• Summer Internship through the Summer Public Interest Fellowship Program or the Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights
• Legal Access Clinic
• Patent and Trademark Clinic
• Other lawyering opportunities, as approved by the Academic Policy and Curriculum Committee
• Paid Law or Paid Law-Related work meeting school requirements (for this option, an additional form is required to be filed by the last day of classes).