College of Law Launches New Washington, D.C. Program

"This unique and innovative program will allow law students from around the country to take courses from renowned faculty and distinguished policy leaders in Washington, D.C., while also getting a foothold in the difficult D.C. legal market through supervised externships with governmental and not-for-profit entities," says Paul Schiff Berman, dean of the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law. "I can't imagine any law student in the country with an interest in D.C. practice or federal policy work who would not want to seriously consider this program."

Berman is establishing a Dean's Advisory Council for the program, which has already been joined by deans from law schools across the United States, including those at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Cornell Law School, Temple University Beasley School of Law, Stanford Law School, the University of Arkansas School of Law, Emory University, William and Mary School of Law, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Washington & Lee University School of Law, the University of Minnesota Law School, the William S. Boyd School of Law at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the University of Florida Levin College of Law and the University of Tulsa College of Law.

The program, the first of its kind, will welcome applications from students at ABA-accredited law schools across the United States, and will include supervised externships arranged through The Washington Center and cutting-edge courses taught by ASU law professors. In addition to teaching the courses, ASU law professors will provide oversight and supervision consistent with American Bar Association standards.
The program is designed to help students acquire deep and practical expertise in their areas of professional interest, get an insider's view of legal and policy development in the nation's capital, and develop experience and connections that will be valued by employers in the D.C. area and elsewhere.

Two students from the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law who recently spent a semester in Washington, D.C., say the experience is invaluable.

Ryan Regula, a third-year law student at ASU, recently spent a semester working for U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, (R-Ariz.), on the Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security Subcommittee.

"I plan to go into the field of intellectual property, a niche field, but I first wanted to have a wide breadth of legal experiences," Regula says. "Through my externship, I was able to work on a variety of judicial nominations, including that of Sonia Sotomayor for the U.S. Supreme Court."Participating students from other law schools will apply to be visiting students at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law and, if accepted, will receive from the College of Law the credits they earn during the semester in Washington, D.C. Tuition and fees for the semester will be the standard in-state and out-of-state rates as applicable.

In addition, the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law Washington, D.C., Legal Externship Program will provide special programming and optional housing through The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, a non-profit educational organization that has ongoing relationships with hundreds of colleges and universities and already provides internships and academic seminars for more than 1,500 students each year.

"For more than 30 years, The Washington Center has been bringing students from across the country to the nation's capital to explore their careers while expanding their education," says Mike Smith, president of the Center. "Our programs are known for exposing students to the ideals of public service, and we know our new program with ASU's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law will do the same for law students. They will have the support not only of our entire staff but also our network of more than 40,000 alumni."

More information about the program and how to apply for it is available at http://www.law.asu.edu/wlep. The deadline for the spring 2010 semester is Oct. 15, 2009, for early consideration; Nov. 1, 2009, for final consideration. The deadline for the fall 2010 semester is May 14, 2010.

ABOUT THE WASHINGTON CENTER
 
The Washington Center for Internships and Academic seminars is an independent, nonprofit organization that serves hundreds of colleges and universities in the United States and other countries by providing selected students challenging opportunities to work and learn in Washington, D.C. for academic credit.  The largest program of its kind, The Washington Center has more than 40,000 alumni who have become leaders in numerous professions and nations around the world.  It was established in 1975.

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