Find information on a variety of programs, policies, and career resources below.
An externship is an opportunity to earn academic credit for doing substantive legal work with a government or non-profit agency. Students receive close supervision and instruction from an attorney or judge at the placement, as well as supervision by the faculty of the law school through the engagement of the Director of Experiential Learning and Adjunct Professors. Colorado Law's Externship Program aims to help students develop professional lawyering skills, gain insight into various aspects of the legal system and profession, and cultivate a sense of professional responsibility.
By signing the Colorado Law Public Service Pledge, students commit to at least 50 hours of law-related public service work, not for credit or other compensation, during their time at the Law School. Click here to learn more about the Pledge including the deadline for reporting hours and what kind of work will qualify. Click here for instructions on how to log your Pledge hours in CDOnline.
Law students who have completed at least two years of law school may appear in court pursuant to Colorado Rule of Civil Procedure 205.7. A student must file a certification that they have completed two years of law school and is of good moral character. To file this certification, print the form, complete the first two sections, and email the form to lawreg@colorado.edu. The Registrar will then complete and submit the form.
The student must also provide the name of the supervising attorney and an anticipated graduation date. Work must be performed for an attorney in the public sector, i.e., the Public Defender's Office or District Attorney's Office; or on behalf of a non profit legal services organization where poor or legally underserved persons receives legal advice.
The Career Development Office is committed to helping diverse students and alumni build successful and satisfying careers by providing individualized career counseling and by working with the legal community to maximize career and professional development opportunities. Learn more about the different career opportunities that are available for diverse Colorado Law students and alumni here.
Public service is one of Colorado Law’s core values. Our Summer Fellowship program provides financial support to Colorado Law students pursuing unpaid and extremely lowly paid summer public service job opportunities. Some fellowships are specific to particular practice areas, e.g. environmental law, public policy, and civil rights. Others, such as the Public Service Summer Fellowship (PSSF), are available for any practice area. Learn more about our Summer Fellowship program here.
Post-Graduate Fellowships provide a variety of opportunities for recent Colorado Law graduates. Certain fellowships are tied to work for particular entities (e.g., the Denver City Attorney's Office), and others provide funding for work with judges and government organizations.
Colorado Law's Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP) provides partial loan repayment awards to select alumni who choose qualifying public interest work. Eligible applicants are graduates of Colorado Law who are employed in full-time job with a qualifying employer whose gross annual salary does not exceed $67,000. Recipients may receive LRAP awards for up to five years, as long as they continue to meet the eligibility requirements and reapply each year. Click here for complete information and application instructions.
Any Colorado Law student who believes they have been subjected to, or witnessed, illegal discrimination, sexual misconduct, or offensive or inappropriate conduct by an employer or prospective employer, whether on campus or elsewhere, during the recruiting process, or during summer or other employment while a law student, including employment as an intern or extern, is encouraged to complete a Student Complaint Form and submit this completed form to the Colorado Law Career Development Office (CDO). Students are encouraged to submit a Complaint Form as soon as possible after the alleged incident of misconduct. Delay in filing a Complaint Form can impede the ability of the CDO to investigate the incident and appropriately respond.
Complaints Relating to Sexual Misconduct or Protected Class Discrimination and Harassment under the Jurisdiction of OIEC
Note that under CU policies, all employees who have the authority to formally advise students are considered “responsible employees” and are required to report alleged sexual misconduct, intimate partner violence, stalking, protected class discrimination/ harassment, and related retaliation to the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC). This means:
Upon receipt of a Complaint Form, the CDO Assistant Dean will contact the student to discuss the incident reported. The CDO will report all allegations of sexual misconduct, intimate partner violence, stalking, discrimination, harassment, and related retaliation to the OIEC. Whenever possible, the OIEC and CDO will communicate and share information to streamline and reduce impact from the reporting process for the student. The CDO and OIEC will consider a student’s request that no further action be taken by the CDO or OIEC and that the Complaint Form simply remain on file for future reference. The CDO and OIEC will weigh that request against the university’s obligation to provide a safe, non-discriminatory environment for all students, faculty, and staff.
For complaints that fall within the jurisdiction of the OIEC, the OIEC has an obligation to conduct at least a preliminary inquiry to determine whether the alleged conduct warrants further action. OIEC acts as a neutral, objective fact finder when adjudicating a complaint. When someone has concerns about behaviors that are a potential violation of our policies, OIEC can either conduct a formal adjudication or grievance process – consisting of an investigation, sanctioning and appeal, as applicable – or resolve the issue through an informal resolution process. As noted above, the student may request that no further action be taken by the OIEC. The OIEC will weigh that request against the university’s obligation to provide a safe, non-discriminatory environment for all students, faculty, and staff.
In some cases, the OIEC may determine that reported matter falls outside the jurisdiction of the policies enforced by the OIEC or may be best handled directly by the CDO; in such cases the OIEC will refer the matter back to the CDO to resolve in accordance with the procedures set forth below.
Complaints that Relate to Offensive or Inappropriate Conduct Outside the Jurisdiction of the OIEC
For complaints that fall outside the jurisdiction of the OIEC, The Assistant Dean, in consultation with the other CDO counselors, will review the incident and Complaint Form and may, if deemed appropriate, initiate a review of the facts of the incident. In deciding whether to complete an investigation and what action to take, the Assistant Dean will consider any factor deemed relevant, including the nature of the conduct, whether the conduct is isolated or part of a pattern, and the extent of any remedial measures initiated by the employer.
After completion of the review or investigation process, the Law School may decide to:
The ultimate decision of what action, if any, to take, will be made by the CDO Assistant Dean who initially meets with the student, after consultation with the other CDO counselors and, if necessary, the OIEC, the Assistant Dean of Student Services, and the Dean of the Law School.
No attorney-client relationship is created between the Law School, or any of its employees, and a student who brings a complaint alleging employer misconduct. The complaint procedures provided for herein shall not limit the right of a student to pursue any remedy available to the student under the law.