Opportunities to Earn Credits Outside the Classroom

One of my favorite aspects of law school has been the many opportunities I have had to earn credits outside of the classroom setting. Unfortunately, I saved quite a few hard and heavy statutory classes for this final semester, so I am finding myself looking back fondly on my experiences outside of the classroom, especially now that the weather is getting warmer. 

While I think a significant portion of law school needs to be spent in the library and in the classroom, I feel that it is really important to gain some practical experience before graduation, which you just can’t do in the classroom setting. Not everyone chooses to take advantage of these opportunities but I can honestly say if you choose not to, you’ll really be missing out on an important part of law school, which is getting ready for the real world.  I was very fortunate because my mentor here at RWU had participated in a number of these opportunities so I got some really great insight that helped me decide the opportunities I wanted to pursue.

During my second year of school, I was able to earn a significant portion of my credits by writing an article for the Law Review and participating in the law school’s judicial externship program, which was a phenomenal opportunity. Last semester, I earned a number of credits outside the classroom by representing clients through the school’s criminal defense clinic, which wasn’t my favorite experience but it certainly helped me decide that I do not want to practice criminal law. In this final semester I am earning a couple credits by working one on one with my criminal procedure professor on a directed research project, which has been a great break from my otherwise heavy class load. With preparing for exams, I don’t quite have the time to go into detail with regard to each opportunity but I do want to take a minute to tell you about my experience with the judicial externship opportunity because it has been the highlight of my law school experience.

Judicial Externship Program

As soon as you finish your first year, you can apply for a position in the program. There are two main components to the program: (1) you get the opportunity to spend two days each week interning with the judge of your choice (assuming the judge is willing to take on an intern); and (2) you get to take a Judicial Process course taught by Justice Flanders, a former justice of the RI Supreme Court.  Because RWU is the only law school in Rhode Island, the school has a real monopoly with regard to placing students with the judge/in the court of their choice. When I participated in the program students were placed with judges in the following courts: the Rhode Island Federal District Court, the First Circuit Court of Appeals, the Rhode Island Superior Court, and the Rhode Island Supreme Court.

Fortunately, I got my first choice and was assigned to Judge Procaccini, who was serving on the trial calendar in the RI Superior Court. The experience was awesome. I can honestly say that I gained more practical skills in the one semester I worked with Judge Procaccini than I did in all of law school. Not only did I have the opportunity to hear some great arguments and sit in on some really interesting trials and conferences, Judge Procaccini always involved me in his decision making thought-process (by explaining the rational behind his rulings) and gave me some great advice about what to do and what not to do in the courtroom. Imagine having the opportunity to sit through an entire trial and right before the Judge makes his ruling, you go back into his chamber and he asks you “what do you think of the defense attorney’s argument, what’s your opinion”—that was what my experience working with Judge Procacinni was like.  Not only did he actively solicit my opinion regarding various issues, he demonstrated a genuine interest in my thought process regarding those issues. The opportunity to work with Judge Procaccini is truly a once in a lifetime experience. Besides being a great mentor/teacher, he is truly a top-notch Judge and the fairest man I have ever met.  Trust me, if you happen to get the chance to work with him, make sure you take advantage of it.

Alright back to preparing for finals….only three weeks to go until my last final exam!