Court certification permits the law student, with the supervision of a practicing attorney, to argue in an Oregon courtroom. Other academic and professional requirements must also be met before court certification is approved. Because of Willamette's proximity to the State Courts, some students seek positions as judicial externs to enhance their academic and professional experience. Academic credit can be earned as a judicial extern with the Oregon Supreme Court and the Oregon Court of Appeals, both located across the street from the University. Judicial externships are also available at the federal level.
Students work under the guidance of two supervising attorneys and the clinic director.
With the Atkinson School, the College of Law also offers a joint degree program in law and management. Interested candidates for the joint degree program must make separate applications to the College of Law and the Atkinson School. Study in Dispute Resolution Willamette has long recognized the need for legal training in methods of dispute resolution that are alternative to litigation. In 1983 the College of Law established the Center for Dispute Resolution, the first program of its kind in the West. Since its inception 15 years ago, the Center for Dispute Resolution has provided Willamette law students with one of the nation's best training grounds for a practice involving dispute resolution theory and techniques.