This rule does not apply to Street Law, however, so a student make take that clinic and another, client-based clinic. The purpose of clinical education is to expose students to practice in the real world and to reflect upon it. To the extent that such study better prepares one for a job, it may positively affect his or her ability to perform in the workplace. No matter what its subject matter, each clinic teaches the essentials of planning, problem solving, strategic thinking, and the other skills associated with the practice of law. Most clinics are funded with tuition revenues.
Some clinics supplement their funding with grants or contracts.
One is supported totally with outside funds. An externship is a course where students gain academic credit for work outside of law school. Maintaining quality in an externship is very difficult. Further, accreditation rules require classroom components to externships that are very difficult to coordinate. Most importantly, however, externships by their nature provide work, not an academic inquiry, for credit.