Apply for a Practicum

U.S Army Court of Criminal Appeals held on 9/26/24.

U.S Army Court of Criminal Appeals held on September 26, 2024.

Practicums are popular, so acceptance to a Practicum is not guaranteed. We recommend that you register for a full schedule in case there is not room for you in a practicum next semester. If you are approved for a practicum and submit all the required paperwork, we will help you adjust your schedule.

The application deadline for the Fall 2025 Practicums is Friday, April 4, 2025 at 5:00pm. Follow our social media accounts for updates. 

Fall 2025 Practicums

  • Veterans Law Practicum
    12/9/24
    This practicum is offered during the Spring semester.
  • Human Rights Practicum
    12/6/24
    The Human Rights Practicum works on behalf of human rights organizations, policy and advocacy groups, and individual victims of human rights abuse to promote respect for human rights, international law, and global solidarity. Guided by local human rights advocates, the practicum is oriented, in particular, to work with and for immigrant and refugee communities in Buffalo and Western New York, drawing on the theory and practice of human rights law to strengthen advocacy concerning issues important to them.
Bar Applicant Documentation

All graduates who complete a law practicum will need to document their pro bono work in order to submit an application for admission to practice in NY.

For more information, see Pro Bono Requirement - Documenting Your Pro Bono Work for Clinic Students

Before Submitting Your Application

Applicants should be aware that all enrolled practicum students are considered members of the School of Law’s Clinical Legal Education Program Law Practice, and will be admitted to practice under a practice order. Accordingly, enrolling in a UB practicum requires students to agree to abide by law firm policies and procedures, including appropriate conflicts checks and confidentiality commitments that may go beyond matters in the particular practicum or clinic in which the student enrolls. This will be a substantial commitment for the semester(s) in which the student is in a practicum, and thereafter. Additionally, you will be eligible to earn hours toward your pro bono requirements, and completing a practicum will fulfill four credit hours of your experiential learning requirement under the GARP.

Because of the intensity of the experience, students may not enroll in more than one clinic, practicum, or externship per semester.

Questions regarding the clinical program or related experiential learning should be directed to Vice Dean Bernadette Gargano at law-clinic@buffalo.edu.

JD/MSW Students

All JD/MSW students should consult directly with Melinda Saran regarding their choice of Clinic, Practicum or a Law and Social Work placement, for their JD/MSW Advanced year.

Application Instructions

The application deadline for the Fall 2025 Semester is Friday, April 4, 2025 at 5:00pm.

To apply for a practicum, please:

  1. Complete the online application. You must list different first and second choices for a clinic, practicum, and/or externship. You may list a third choice if you wish.
  2. Submit the online application by providing your electronic signature. Please be aware that you are now required to upload your Cover Letter, Resume, Unofficial Transcript, Writing Sample, and Conflict Inventory Acknowledgment along with your application.
  3. Submit your online application by Friday, April 4, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. 
  4. You will be notified by email of whether or not you have been selected for a practicum. Students will be reviewed by their first choice initially. If not selected, your application materials will be forwarded to your second choice.
  5. If you accept a position in a practicum you will be part of the Clinical Law Firm. Thus, your professors plan around your presence in the practicum. Accordingly, accepting an offer to participate in a practicum means you agree to stay enrolled absent extraordinary circumstances and may not withdraw without consulting your Practicum Director and the Director of Clinical Legal Education.
  6. Enrolled students must complete other necessary forms (for the court and the law firm) for registration. Your registration will not be approved until you submit all required paperwork, and your approval will be rescinded if you do not submit all paperwork within the required deadlines.
Online Application