Externship Program

The Externship Program offers significant academic benefits not otherwise available in the prescribed curriculum. Students are provided field experience by being placed in an outside supportive environment to learn the panoply of lawyering skills. Mentors create a situation specifically designed to maximize new learning, to develop new skills and to encourage creativity. Students discover their own strength and weaknesses through self-direction.

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October 15, 2009

To: UH Law Students

If you are not planning to graduate this May, it is not too early to begin thinking about enrolling in an externship during the summer break. Directing the Summer Externship Program in 2006-2009 convinced me that virtually all the students who enrolled each summer had an enjoyable and, often, an excellent “real life” lawyering experience working under the tutelage of experienced and enthusiastic lawyers or judges in the courts, public agencies, the State Legislature, corporate law offices, or private law firms. There seems to be a distinct advantage to externing when you are not burdened by studying for several other law classes.

If you are interested in externing in a federal court you should begin your search as soon as possible, since you will be competing with many mainland students who are seeking federal court externships in lovely Hawaii next summer.

If you e-mail me your name, e-mail address, and phone number I will see that you receive all the information and forms you will need to enroll and receive credit for a summer externship. I will not have an office in the law school until later in the term. Until further notice, please use this e-mail address to contact me: rmiller@aya.yale.edu Please feel free to send me any questions you may have about the Summer Externship Program.

Law students are responsible for locating and securing their own mentors. Attached is a list of last summer’s mentors as well as a list of the federal judges with phone number. It is up to you to seek a mentor and you are not limited to those on the attached list. If you have doubt about the possible qualifications of a mentor, please contact me. Professors Carl Christensen and Lawrence Foster may also have a list of mentors and their students.

Although the formal dates of this year’s Summer Law Program start in July, work in a summer externship may begin shortly after the May graduation. All externship work must be completed very early in August. It is up to you to work out these arrangements with your mentor.

Externships are open to J.D. students who have completed all first year required courses. Externs are graded on a “credit/no credit” basis and must enroll for two, four, or six credit hours. Externs must work 112 hours (not to exceed 48 hours per week) for each two hours of credit.

Sending me your contact information does not amount to a commitment and you can take your name off the list at any time.

Aloha,
Richard S. Miller
Professor of Law, Emeritus and Former Dean
Director, Summer Externship Program
The William S. Richardson School of Law
2515 Dole Street
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 254-1796
E-mail: rmiller@aya.yale.edu

P.S. Here is the list of last summer’s mentors. (Other federal judges and magistrates who may accept externs include: Judge Helen Gillmor (541-3502), Judge David Ezra (541-1907), Judge J. Michael Seabright (541-1804), Senior Judge Sam King (541-1900), and Senior Judge Alan Kay (541-1904). These are all U.S. District Court (trial court) judges. In addition, you may want to call Judge Richard Clifton, on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (522-7474).

• Justice Simeon Acoba – Hawaii Supreme Court
• Dan Colon, Private Attorney
• Queens Health System Douglas Inouye
• Judge Barry Kurren- Federal Magistrate (541-1306)
• Judge Wong, State Judge (retiring)
• Patricia McManaman, Civil Rts Commission
• Judge Karl Sakamoto, State Judge
• Judge Ronda Nishimura, State Judge
• Sarah Courageous - Navy Legal Svs
• Ted Pettit – Private Attorney
• Hon. Kevin Chang – Federal Magistrate (541-1308)
• Hon. Craig Nakamura – Ch. Judge, Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals
• Tommy Waters, Private Lawyer
• Judge Randall Lee, State Judge
• Donald V. Calvo, Guam – Private Attorney
• Hon. Steven S. Alm – State Judge
• Hon. Katherine Leonard – Judge, Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals
• Hon. Richard K. Perkins – State Judge
• Donna Odani, Clerk for Federal Magistrate Judge Leslie Kobayashi (541-1331)