Field Placement Information
Field Placement Program Homepage
Fall 2008 Clinics & Field Placement Guide
Emory Law School is pleased to be able to offer its students a program of field placements, which is rich both in terms of its quality and its wide variety of opportunities. Placements are available in many federal agencies, federal and state prosecutors' and public defenders' offices, several courts, and some private companies and public interest organizations.
The Program Director, who administers the program, continually monitors the offerings to insure that aspiring practitioners will receive "hands on" experiences, which are tailored to the student's professional goals as well as the student's level of academic training.
No student may enroll in more than one field placement or program in any one semester. This includes all field placement programs. Please note that all placements will operate on a pass/fail basis and count toward the residency requirement. Students may enroll in no more than two field placements: two one-semester placements for a total of six credits or one one-semester placement and one two-semester placement for a total of nine credits.
In an effort to maintain the highest degree of uniform quality and to assure that the student has the proper educational background to undertake the program, the faculty oversight committee has promulgated the following guidelines:
I. Field Placements and their descriptions, including enrollment limitations and instructions, are made available each semester through the Office of the Program Director. Students who qualify to enroll in a field placement should carefully follow the prescribed enrollment procedure. The supervisors conduct interviews each semester to select students for the following semester. Students, therefore, are preselected for field placements in the next semester prior to preregistration for that semester. Students having any questions about enrollment in a field placement should consult with Janette Pratt, Administrative Professor for Field Placement, in Room G551.
II. Certain field placements (particularly litigation-oriented) are open only to third year students. Only third year students will be permitted to enroll in these field placements.
III. No field placements are available during the summer.
IV. No student may enroll in more than one field placement in any one semester.
V. Students who are on academic probation are ineligible to participate in the Field Placement Program. Any such student seeking a position for the following semester (with the hope of getting off probation) must see the Program Director prior to interviewing for such position.
VI. Acceptance of an offer to participate in a field placement is a serious commitment which must be treated as such. Withdrawal will not be permitted as it might normally be in a standard law school course.
VII. Students in field placements are required to work a minimum of 120 hours per semester, and receive three credits. Weekly reports must be submitted to the Program Director and students must participate in a series of classes. All field placements are graded pass/fail.
VIII. For a complete description of rules and requirements of the Field Placement Program, students should consult their Guide to the Field Placement Program published each semester or see the Field Placement Program Director.
IX. A student is not permitted to enroll simultaneously in a field placement and a clinic. Exceptions to this may be granted by Associate Dean Jim Hughes in rare circumstances upon favorable recommendation of both the Director of Field Placement and the Clinic Instructor.