{"id":2247,"date":"2015-07-08T14:58:32","date_gmt":"2015-07-08T18:58:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/?page_id=2247"},"modified":"2026-02-02T16:23:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T21:23:17","slug":"semester-in-practice","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/experiential-learning\/externships\/semester-in-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"Semester-in-Practice Externship Program"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Full-Time Placements<\/h2>\n<p>The Semester-in-Practice Program is our full-time, full-semester externship program. Placements may be local or outside of Boston. The program is open to 3Ls (fall and spring semesters) and 2Ls (spring semester only).<\/p>\n<p>The Semester-in-Practice Program encompasses a wide range of placement options and two seminar options. Students earn 12 credits: 10 ungraded credits for working full-time at the field placement, plus 2 graded credits for the seminar, which can be taken on campus (for students working in Boston) or remotely (for students working anywhere else). The field placement requirement is 65 days of full-time work.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>\u2022 Semester in Practice: International Human Rights<\/h3>\n<p>Students may spend a semester working for an international human rights organization, domestic or abroad. \u00a0Our most popular placement is with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Geneva), although students have also worked at Reprieve (London) and the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (Berlin), as well as others. \u00a0The program provides students with practical experience under the guidance of experienced international human rights attorneys and judges. \u00a0The educational objectives of this program are for\u00a0students to develop their substantive and procedural knowledge of international treaties and norms governing human rights issues; develop the ability to interpret and apply treaties and norms in specific contexts; learn the day-to-day of international human rights practice in a range of United Nations, regional human rights mechanisms, and domestic jurisdictions; and develop problem-solving skills in human rights practice to successfully advocate for groups and individuals under international human rights norms. This option is offered in the spring semester only.<br \/>\n<div class=\"course-feed\">\t\t<div class=\"course-card\" data-course=\"LAW-JD-741\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"course-card__open\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cc-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cc-course-number\">LAW JD 741<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cc-course-name-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"cc-course-name\">SILC: Intellectual Property Seminar 1<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cc-footer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cc-credits\">2 credits<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t<dialog class=\"course-card__dialog\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"course-card__dialog-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cc-course-number-modal\">LAW JD 741<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"course-card__close\">Close<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"course-card__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSILC: Intellectual Property Seminar 1\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cc-modal-credits\">2 credits<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"course-card__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"meta\"><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"description\">THIS CLASS IS RESTRICTED to students who have formally applied to and been accepted to the Student Innovations Law Clinic.\nThe BU\/MIT Student Innovations Law Clinic (SILC) provides counseling and guidance to assist MIT and BU students with laws and regulations that relate to their innovation-related academic and extracurricular activities. As a companion to SILC Fieldwork course, in IP Seminar 1 students in SILC's Intellectual Property Practice Group meet to review substantive legal issues in intellectual property law and how they relate to SILC's practice, including issues in copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, and related legal issues. The seminar will also introduce students to the lawyering skills (including interviewing, counseling, negotiation, drafting, etc.) that will help them in counseling MIT and BU students on their creative and innovative projects. This class will occasionally meet with some or all of the students in the other SILC Practice Group sections for clinic-wide discussions and case round presentations.\u00a0NOTE: This Clinic counts toward the 6 credit Experiential Learning requirement. GRADING NOTICE: This course does not offer the CR\/NC\/H option.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<hr>\n\t\t\t\t\t<em><span>FALL 2026:<\/span> <span>LAW JD 741 A1,<\/span> <span>Aug 31st to Dec 3rd 2026<\/span><\/em><br\/>\n<div class=\"scroll\">\n\t<table>\n\t\t<thead>\n\t\t\t<tr>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Days<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Start<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>End<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Credits<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Instructors<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Bldg<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Room<\/th>\n\t\t\t<\/tr>\n\t\t<\/thead>\n\t\t<tr>\n\t<td>Tue<\/td>\n\t<td>2:10 pm<\/td>\n\t<td>4:10 pm<\/td>\n\t<td>2<\/td>\n\t<td><a class=\"profile-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/profile\/ari-lipsitz\/\" title=\"View Profile\">Ari Lipsitz<\/a><a class=\"profile-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/profile\/jef-pearlman\/\" title=\"View Profile\">Jef Pearlman<\/a><\/td>\n\t<td><\/td>\n\t<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\t<\/table>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/dialog>\n\t\t<\/div>\t\t<div class=\"course-card\" data-course=\"LAW-JD-742\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"course-card__open\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cc-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cc-course-number\">LAW JD 742<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cc-course-name-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"cc-course-name\">SILC: Intellectual Property Seminar 2<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cc-footer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cc-credits\">2 credits<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t<dialog class=\"course-card__dialog\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"course-card__dialog-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cc-course-number-modal\">LAW JD 742<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"course-card__close\">Close<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"course-card__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSILC: Intellectual Property Seminar 2\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cc-modal-credits\">2 credits<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"course-card__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"meta\"><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"description\">THIS CLASS IS RESTRICTED to students who have formally applied to and been accepted to the Student Innovations Law Clinic.\nThe BU\/MIT Student Innovations Law Clinic (SILC) provides counseling and guidance to assist MIT and BU students with laws and regulations that relate to their innovation-related academic and extracurricular activities. As a companion to SILC Fieldwork course, in IP Seminar 2 students in SILC's Intellectual Property Practice Group expand upon the legal and practice issues reviewed in the fall seminar, including issues in copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, and related legal issues. This class will occasionally meet with some or all of the students in the other SILC Practice Group sections for clinic-wide discussions and case round presentations.\u00a0NOTE: This Clinic counts toward the 6 credit Experiential Learning requirement. GRADING NOTICE: This course does not offer the CR\/NC\/H option.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<hr>\n\t\t\t\t\t<em><span>SPRG 2027:<\/span> <span>LAW JD 742 A1,<\/span> <span>Jan 11th to Apr 21st 2027<\/span><\/em><br\/>\n<div class=\"scroll\">\n\t<table>\n\t\t<thead>\n\t\t\t<tr>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Days<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Start<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>End<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Credits<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Instructors<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Bldg<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Room<\/th>\n\t\t\t<\/tr>\n\t\t<\/thead>\n\t\t<tr>\n\t<td>Tue<\/td>\n\t<td>2:10 pm<\/td>\n\t<td>4:10 pm<\/td>\n\t<td>2<\/td>\n\t<td><a class=\"profile-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/profile\/ari-lipsitz\/\" title=\"View Profile\">Ari Lipsitz<\/a><a class=\"profile-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/profile\/jef-pearlman\/\" title=\"View Profile\">Jef Pearlman<\/a><\/td>\n\t<td><\/td>\n\t<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\t<\/table>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/dialog>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/p>\n<p><strong>Course Prerequisite:\u00a0<\/strong>Students who have not done so already must take International Human Rights (S): LAW JD 771 <i>prior\u00a0<\/i>to spending a semester in practice.<\/p>\n<h3>\u2022 Semester in Practice<\/h3>\n<p>Students spend a semester working at any qualified placement, domestic or abroad, including for-profit and nonprofit corporations, courts, governmental agencies, and law firms. The seminar focuses on general lawyering topics such as professional responsibility, professional development, access to justice, cross-cultural lawyering, and the changing role of the legal profession.<\/p>\n<div class=\"course-feed\">\t\t<div class=\"course-card\" data-course=\"LAW-JD-739\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"course-card__open\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cc-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cc-course-number\">LAW JD 739<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cc-course-name-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"cc-course-name\">Semester in Practice Program: Fieldwork<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cc-footer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cc-credits\">10 credits<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t<dialog class=\"course-card__dialog\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"course-card__dialog-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cc-course-number-modal\">LAW JD 739<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"course-card__close\">Close<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"course-card__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSemester in Practice Program: Fieldwork\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cc-modal-credits\">10 credits<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"course-card__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"meta\"><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"description\">THIS CLASS IS RESTRICTED to students who have received permission from the Clinical and Experiential Programs Office to enroll. This course is the fieldwork component of the Semester-in-Practice Program. Students spend a semester working full-time for credit in non-profits, government agencies, courts, private companies, or law firms. Placements may be paid or unpaid. Students may find their own placements that must be approved by the Clinical and Experiential Programs Office, or the Office has resources to help students identify and apply to suitable field placements based on their interests and career goals. NOTE: Students who enroll in the Semester-in-Practice Program may count the credits towards the 6 credit Experiential Learning requirement. COREQUISITE: Semester-in-Practice: Seminar (JD 740).<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<hr>\n\t\t\t\t\t<em><span>FALL 2026:<\/span> <span>LAW JD 739 A1,<\/span> <span>Aug 31st to Dec 3rd 2026<\/span><\/em><br\/>\n<div class=\"scroll\">\n\t<table>\n\t\t<thead>\n\t\t\t<tr>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Days<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Start<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>End<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Credits<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Instructors<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Bldg<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Room<\/th>\n\t\t\t<\/tr>\n\t\t<\/thead>\n\t\t<tr>\n\t<td>ARR<\/td>\n\t<td>12:00 am<\/td>\n\t<td>12:00 am<\/td>\n\t<td>10<\/td>\n\t<td><a class=\"profile-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/profile\/kathleen-devlin-joyce\/\" title=\"View Profile\">Kate Devlin Joyce<\/a><\/td>\n\t<td><\/td>\n\t<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\t<\/table>\n<\/div><em><span>SPRG 2027:<\/span> <span>LAW JD 739 A1,<\/span> <span>Jan 11th to Apr 21st 2027<\/span><\/em><br\/>\n<div class=\"scroll\">\n\t<table>\n\t\t<thead>\n\t\t\t<tr>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Days<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Start<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>End<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Credits<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Instructors<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Bldg<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Room<\/th>\n\t\t\t<\/tr>\n\t\t<\/thead>\n\t\t<tr>\n\t<td>ARR<\/td>\n\t<td>12:00 am<\/td>\n\t<td>12:00 am<\/td>\n\t<td>10<\/td>\n\t<td><a class=\"profile-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/profile\/kathleen-devlin-joyce\/\" title=\"View Profile\">Kate Devlin Joyce<\/a><\/td>\n\t<td><\/td>\n\t<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\t<\/table>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/dialog>\n\t\t<\/div>\t\t<div class=\"course-card\" data-course=\"LAW-JD-740\">\n\t\t\t<button class=\"course-card__open\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cc-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cc-course-number\">LAW JD 740<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cc-course-name-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"cc-course-name\">Semester in Practice Program: Seminar<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"cc-footer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cc-credits\">2 credits<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t\t\t<dialog class=\"course-card__dialog\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"course-card__dialog-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cc-course-number-modal\">LAW JD 740<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"course-card__close\">Close<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"course-card__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSemester in Practice Program: Seminar\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cc-modal-credits\">2 credits<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"course-card__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"meta\"><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"description\">THIS CLASS IS RESTRICTED to students who have received permission from the Clinical and Experiential Programs Office to enroll. This course is the seminar component of the Semester-in-Practice Program. Students will take the course online or on campus course (depending on the location of their placement). Topics covered in class will include legal ethics and professional responsibility, professional development, access to justice, cross-cultural lawyering, and the changing role of the legal professional. Students will have weekly readings and be expected to write weekly reflective memoranda. They will also give a presentation and prepare a final 10-12 page paper. NOTE: Students enrolled in this course may count the credits towards the 6 credit Experiential Learning requirement. COREQUISITE: Semester-in-Practice: Fieldwork (JD 739). <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<p><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<hr>\n\t\t\t\t\t<em><span>FALL 2026:<\/span> <span>LAW JD 740 OL,<\/span> <span>Aug 31st to Dec 3rd 2026<\/span><\/em><br\/>\n<div class=\"scroll\">\n\t<table>\n\t\t<thead>\n\t\t\t<tr>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Days<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Start<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>End<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Credits<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Instructors<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Bldg<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Room<\/th>\n\t\t\t<\/tr>\n\t\t<\/thead>\n\t\t<tr>\n\t<td>Fri<\/td>\n\t<td>11:30 am<\/td>\n\t<td>1:30 pm<\/td>\n\t<td>2<\/td>\n\t<td><a class=\"profile-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/profile\/kathleen-devlin-joyce\/\" title=\"View Profile\">Kate Devlin Joyce<\/a><\/td>\n\t<td><\/td>\n\t<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\t<\/table>\n<\/div><em><span>SPRG 2027:<\/span> <span>LAW JD 740 OL,<\/span> <span>Jan 11th to Apr 21st 2027<\/span><\/em><br\/>\n<div class=\"scroll\">\n\t<table>\n\t\t<thead>\n\t\t\t<tr>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Days<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Start<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>End<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Credits<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Instructors<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Bldg<\/th>\n\t\t\t\t<th>Room<\/th>\n\t\t\t<\/tr>\n\t\t<\/thead>\n\t\t<tr>\n\t<td>Fri<\/td>\n\t<td>11:30 am<\/td>\n\t<td>1:30 pm<\/td>\n\t<td>2<\/td>\n\t<td><a class=\"profile-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/profile\/kathleen-devlin-joyce\/\" title=\"View Profile\">Kate Devlin Joyce<\/a><\/td>\n\t<td><\/td>\n\t<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\t<\/table>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/dialog>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>Planning Your Semester Away<\/h2>\n<p>The Semester-in-Practice consumes both non-GPA credits and independent study credits, nor do the credits count towards the 64 in-class credits minimum. When planning your semester, be sure to pay close attention to the JD Degree Requirements Planning Grid in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/about\/offices\/registrar\/course-registration\/course-selection-guide\/\">Course Selection Guide<\/a>, to make sure you have satisfied all credit requirements. When in doubt, please consult the Academic Regulations, the Registrar&#8217;s Office, and Associate Dean Gerry Muir, to make sure your academic plan meets all requirements. Please be aware you may not take any other classes during your semester away. Therefore, if you are planning to do the SIP Program your spring 3L semester, you must have fulfilled the Professional Responsibility requirement first. <strong>Students may not take professional responsibility during their externship semester. <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Full-Time Placements The Semester-in-Practice Program is our full-time, full-semester externship program. Placements may be local or outside of Boston. The program is open to 3Ls (fall and spring semesters) and 2Ls (spring semester only). The Semester-in-Practice Program encompasses a wide range of placement options and two seminar options. Students earn 12 credits: 10 ungraded credits [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10500,"featured_media":0,"parent":2245,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"bu-publication":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2247"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10500"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2247"}],"version-history":[{"count":39,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2247\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":122688,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2247\/revisions\/122688"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2245"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2247"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/law\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=2247"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}