Semester-in-Washington, D.C. Program

Dickinson Law students who participate in the John C. Keeney Semester-in-Washington, D.C. Program spend one semester during the third year of law school in Washington, D.C. interning at an approved federal government agency, nonprofit organization, corporate legal department focusing on government relations, or public interest group. The legal externship experience provides advanced study in federal law, and serves as a capstone experience for students interested in federal practice.

In the program, students attend a weekly seminar on federal regulatory and legislative practice, and work approximately 30 hours per week at an approved externship. Students are encouraged to identify externships related to their prior studies at the law school and their future career goals.

The program is facilitated onsite by Stanley Brand, Distinguished Fellow in Law and Government at the Law School and a prominent Washington, D.C. attorney. Brand previously served as general counsel to the United States House of Representatives, and was the chief legal officer responsible for representing the House, its members, officers, and employees in connection with legal procedures and challenges to the conduct of their official activities. After leaving the House, Brand has had a succession of high-profile, political, and public corruption cases and clients, including former White House Aide George Stephanopoulos in the Whitewater investigation and former Senator Larry Craig. The weekly seminar course meets in Brand’s office building in downtown Washington, D.C.

Potential externship placements in Washington, D.C. include but are not limited to the the following offices:

  • American Bar Association
  • National Immigration Law Center
  • Project on Government Oversight
  • Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia
  • U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia
  • U.S. Department of Justice
  • U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC)
  • U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Students interested in applying for the Semester-in-Washington, D.C. Program must meet the program eligibility requirements, and submit an application and other required materials. For more information, Louise Halliday, Externship Program Coordinator.