Students should appreciate the sometime conflicting role of an attorney both as an advocate and as an officer of the court. E. Self Awareness Students should begin to see themselves as productive members of the legal profession. Through their externship experience, students can more closely focus upon those aspects of law practice in which they have an interest in order to help determine career paths. F. Communication Skills Students should have the opportunity to improve their ability to communicate both orally and in writing. In addition to the general objectives, each category has other educational objectives that pertain to the particulars of the exposure the students receive.
Students learn legal process from the unique point of view of a sitting judge.
Students learn judicial decision-making by assisting the judge in ruling upon motions, cases or evidentiary objections. Students' research and writing skills are enhanced by the drafting of legal memoranda, proposed rulings or jury instructions. Students come to understand the administrative pressures placed upon the judicial system and the use of alternative dispute resolution techniques as a method of docket control. Students gain a deeper appreciation of the need for legal representation of persons who cannot afford legal representation on their own. Students learn to interview and counsel clients and to identify and explain to the client the pertinent factual and legal issues, as well as available remedies.