Police Misconduct Externship
LW.12813 / LW.12814
Professor Emily Ponder Williams
Open to 3L and 2L students; LL.M.s if space permits*
Maximum of 8 students
Police Misconduct Externship (Fall) 5 credits**
No prerequisites or co-requisites.
Advanced Police Misconduct Externship (Spring) 5 credits**
Police Misconduct Externship is required for Advanced enrollment.
Course Description
Fieldwork
In the fieldwork portion of the externship, students can expect to gain substantial experience working directly with clients who have experienced police misconduct as they seek accountability. Students can expect to work approximately 10-12 hours per week under the supervision of the professor conducting client intake, developing case strategy, collaborating with criminal defense attorneys, drafting and filing Notices of Claim and CCRB complaints, defending clients in hearings, handling settlement negotiations, and participating in all aspects of state and federal police misconduct litigation. Some fieldwork, such as client meetings and hearings, may require presence in the Bronx and at the Bronx Defenders, while other fieldwork may be completed remotely. In the Advanced course, students will have the opportunity to handle more substantial aspects of their assigned cases while also choosing, if desired, a track to engage more deeply in complementary aspects of police accountability including impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community engagement.
Seminar
The classroom component of the externship consists of a two-hour weekly seminar that will equip students with the context and the practical lawyering skills required to engage in each area of fieldwork, such as witness preparation, negotiation techniques, ethics, and trauma-informed lawyering. Students will also engage with critical legal issues and reflect on the demands and constraints of their role as lawyers as it relates to their clients, opposing counsel, and the systems within which they are working. Learning is reinforced through group discussion, workshops, and simulation.
Application Procedure
Students should submit the standard application, resume, and transcript online through CAMS. Please indicate in your application whether you are interested in the advanced course in the Spring as well as the Fall semester. Although the Advanced course is not required, it is strongly encouraged and preference will be given to students interested in enrolling in both semesters.
Interviews will not be conducted, but Faculty will hold two information sessions for applicants during the interview period. Details will be shared with applicants via e-mail.
* Consult the Clinics Open to LL.M. Students page to see if the clinic is available to LL.M.s in the current year. Please note there is a separate application form for LL.M.s. The deadline is different from that for JDs and is posted on the Clinic Application Timelines page.
** 5 credits include 3 clinical (fieldwork) credits and 2 academic seminar credits. The externship fieldwork is assessed on a credit/fail basis. The seminar receives a letter grade based on class participation, completion of in-class exercises, and submission of writing assignments and self-evaluation.
The Advanced course carries the same credits.