GUEST BLOG Harrison Thorne,
2L at UCLA School of Law
I externed at a state court, over summer after 1L.
I loved it, and gained a lot of practical experience.
I am currently externing at a bankruptcy court. I took a bankruptcy course last semester, and found it very interesting. It seemed like a unique field, in that practitioners get a good mix of transactional and litigation work.
I wanted to get more involved in bankruptcy, so I began looking for opportunities. I volunteered for a moot court type competition (that will take place next weekend) through the American College of Bankruptcy. We are performing a mock negotiation for a chapter 11 business restructure. Sounds complicated, but take my word – it’s fun!
But the best experience so far has been externing for the bankruptcy court. I love the subject, so that helps.
However, externing is extremely eye-opening. I have learned how to file motions, how and where to check local, state, and federal rules of court, how to interact with clerks, lawyers, and judges, and how to not anger a court!
I would highly recommend that everyone extern for some court during law school. It is truly an amazing experience, and the hands-on approach will really help round out the academic nature of law school.