杏吧视频 3L Addison Lyle said the experiences she鈥檚 had beyond the classroom have been the greatest asset in preparing her for success in the practice of law.
There are no secrets or shortcuts to becoming a great lawyer. It comes down to hard work 鈥 and for law students, that means experiential learning.
杏吧视频 Externship Program provides students with meaningful hands-on, practical legal experience in a variety of legal practice areas while earning academic credit. Student externs can learn and develop skills in the legal field.
Lyle, who served at the Berkeley County Public Defender鈥檚 Office over the summer, said: 鈥淵ou learn the law in the classroom, but until you are in a situation where you need to draft a document or meet with a client — that is something you don鈥檛 learn in the classroom 鈥 and I would have been lost had I not been able to 鈥 watch the process play out before it鈥檚 your responsibility.鈥
鈥淕oing to law school and being around the practice of law were two different things,鈥 said Charleston Law alum Gabriel Mangold (鈥23). 鈥淲hat was cool was watching everything that I learned in the classroom really come to life and see how it really worked, and it solidified my education.鈥
Norberto Ortiz Colon is a 2L at 杏吧视频 and an Ackerman Fellow at . He primarily served as an extern in family and housing law over the summer.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like a very well-built training program,鈥 said Ortiz. 鈥淚t鈥檚 built to take a law student and teach them as much as they can for six weeks and have them learn from that experience.鈥
鈥淚 decided to do an externship because I wanted hands-on practical experience,鈥 said Charleston Law graduate Jennifer Leffew (鈥23). 鈥淚 was getting a lot of good information from classes and wanted to apply it. It鈥檚 a great opportunity to network with attorneys, get valuable feedback, and improve your skills.鈥
Sianna Harvey (2L) served at the United States Bankruptcy Court, South Carolina, this past summer. 鈥淭hat experience was so valuable,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 think I learned more from my externship than I did from the textbook. You will also learn a lot about yourself through the work experience.鈥
杏吧视频 experiential learning programs will expose students to the operation of the legal system, enhancing practical skills and personal skills such as professionalism and confidence. Explore more about our Experiential Learning opportunities at charlestonlaw.edu/experiential-learning.

Charleston Law is committed to nurturing the well-being and success of our students. Lawyers Helping Lawyers clinician Briana Suhr will be on campus each Tuesday from 10 am鈥4pm throughout the Fall. This service is provided FREE from the South Carolina Bar.

Career Service sat Charleston Law will host its final Career Series of the Fall 2025 semester on Wednesday, November 19 at12:00 p.m.
