Practical Experiences in Law | Practice Law | New England Law

Practical Experiences in Law | Practice Law | New England Law
Practical Experiences
Practical Experiences
The Practice of Law Begins Here
Why just learn the law when you can live it? From your first year at New England Law Boston, you’ll have ample opportunity to gain the hands-on experience and real-world skills you need to become the lawyer you aspire to be.
I Want to…
Work directly with real clients.
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Advocate for people in need
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Gain hands-on experience my first year
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Learn and work alongside strong litigators
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Be a trusted corporate lawyer
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Become courtroom ready
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Gain international legal experience
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Make a difference through public service
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Build expertise in international law
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Strengthen my legal writing and editing skills
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Explore a specific legal field in depth
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From the Classroom to the Front Lines
Center for Business Law
Learn how the legal and business worlds connect and tackle emerging issues such as compliance, commercial law, corporate governance, securities practice, intellectual property, health law, and more. Gain hands-on experience through an internship or as part of one of our well-respected
advocacy teams
. Connect with some of business law’s foremost minds at Center events.
Center for Law
and Social Responsibility
Become the legal advocate that you want to be. The Center gives you opportunities to work alongside professors and full-time legal professionals to get real lawyering experience. Volunteer,
pro bono
, and other real-world projects give you experience in many subjects, including criminal justice, immigration, education, the environment, and women’s and children’s issues. You may also earn recognition on your New England Law transcript.
Center for International Law and Policy
Immerse yourself in the practice of international law through sought-after
international externships
, research projects, academic offerings, and Center-sponsored events. You will build expertise, empathy, and real-world skills through first-hand experience with international legal issues, such as business and human rights, human rights, post-conflict reconstruction, and transitional justice.
Practical Experiences
Clinics and Externships
Represent real clients—under supervision—through participation in clinics and externships. Gain hands‑on experience drafting motions, negotiating settlements, and advocating in court, while earning academic credit and professional mentorship. One of the nation’s few schools that guarantee all interested students a clinical or externship experience, New England Law offers you the opportunity to take up to four clinics before you graduate.
Summer Fellowship Program
Work alongside practicing attorneys in law firms, corporations, or government agencies after your first year (second year for part‑time students). Receive a $4,500 stipend and make valuable professional connections as you spend eight to ten weeks gaining experience drafting legal documents, managing case files, conducting research, and attending client meetings and court proceedings.
Pro Bono
Working on pro bono projects through our
academic centers
and
student organizations
is a rewarding way to build practical legal skills—and discover where your legal passions lie. You’ll serve clients in need, gain valuable hands-on experience, and may earn recognition on your law school transcript, as well as on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Pro Bono Honor Roll.
New England Law Review
Join the New England Law Review and shape cutting‑edge legal scholarship. Many articles in this student-run publication are cited in statutes, federal regulations, and other law review journals. You’ll edit manuscripts, write on emerging issues, and refine your research, writing, and editing skills expertise prized by employers and academia.
Judicial Internships
Secure judicial internships in state and federal courts, drafting opinions, researching case law, and preparing memoranda under the guidance of judges and clerks. Cultivate courtroom insights, professional contacts, and practical litigation skills as you gain a closer understanding of what judges expect from attorneys. New England Law offers part-time for-credit internships and full-time summer internships with a stipend.
International Opportunities
Spend a summer in Galway, Ireland, participating in New England Law’s flagship program studying comparative human rights law and accountability for human rights violations at the Irish Centre for Human Rights. Secure an externship giving you firsthand experience and insight into the inner workings of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, the International Human Rights Institute in London, or the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.
Advocacy and Skills Teams
Our advocacy and moot court/mock trial teams give you the opportunity to sharpen the legal writing and presentation skills that will prove invaluable throughout your legal career—and to demonstrate those skills to potential employers who coach and judge team competitions. As a team member, you’ll learn through collaboration with classmates while presenting arguments, testing approaches, taking risks, and discovering how to succeed in competitions.
Stories of Success
“Choosing a law school with a part-time program enabled me to pursue my dream of becoming an attorney and provided the flexibility to build my Résumé through full-time internships, clinics, and employment.”
Christopher Hughes, Graduate
“I was able to experience what life is really like as counsel for an international corporation.”
Katie Milligan, Graduate
“Our graduates stay, grow their careers, and help build our communities. We’re woven into the fabric of New England.”
Karyn Polito, Graduate
“There are hundreds of law schools to choose from, but very few of them leave the impression New England Law does on its students.”
Czara Venegas, Graduate
Build Your Legal Skills, Year by Year
Year 1
Start honing your skills and strengthening your résumé your first year. Become a
summer fellow
and work alongside attorneys at a law firm, corporation or government agency for eight- to ten weeks and earn a stipend.
Year
Take your first legal
clinic
and represent real clients under professional supervision. Further strengthen your resume as a member of
New England Law Review
, our flagship publication known for cutting-edge legal scholarship.
Year
Broaden your horizons—literally—with one of our
international opportunities
. Spend a summer at the Irish Center for Human Rights in Galway, a semester in The Hague in the Netherlands or at the International Human Rights Institute in London.
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon can I begin gaining real-world legal experience?
At New England Law, you’ll have the opportunity to begin working alongside practicing attorneys the
summer of your first year
and representing real clients (under supervision) in
clinics and externships
starting your second year.
Can I explore various areas of law before deciding on my focus?
Absolutely. You may take up to
four clinics or externships
before you graduate; there are also a variety of
pro bono opportunities
open to students. Both can be excellent ways to discover where your career passions lie.
I know the type of law I want to practice. What’s the best way to start?
Our three law centers—for
Business
Social Responsibility
and
International Law
—enable you to gain experience in your area of interest as early as your first year.
Are there paid internship and fellowship opportunities?
Yes. Our
summer fellowships
come with a stipend as do our summer
judicial internships
How can I build the legal writing and presentation skills employers want?
The student-run
New England Law Review
and our
advocacy and moot court/mock trial teams
allow you to sharpen your writing and presentation skills and showcase those skills to potential employers. The Legal Research and Writing program also introduces students to the foundational skills of communicating clearly through written and oral advocacy.
Will I have an opportunity to study abroad?
Yes. Our
international opportunities
include a study aboard program in Galway, Ireland as well as competitive international externships in The Hague and in London.
New England Law Admissions staff is here to help you through the application process. If you have any questions, please complete the form below or contact the Office of Admissions at
admit@nesl.edu
or call 617-422-7210.
Admissions Contact Us Form