Student Practice Certification for Externship Students

Student Practice Certification may be required for students completing an externship or field placement in a:

• Law firm
• Government agency
• Legal services or nonprofit organization
• Other qualifying legal organization

Certification is generally required when a student will:

• Provide legal advice or legal services in matters governed by North Carolina law to eligible clients.
• Provide legal advice or legal services to government agencies outside of the student's placement organization.
• Appear before a North Carolina court, tribunal, or administrative agency on behalf of an eligible client or government agency.

Students enrolled in Pathways to Practice I or Pathways to Practice II who require Student Practice Certification do not need to complete a separate certification request.

Instead, all required Student Practice Certification forms and supporting documentation should be submitted as part of the Pathways to Practice Course Application. The Legal Clinic Office will review your materials and assist with processing your certification request in accordance with North Carolina State Bar procedures.

If you have questions about Student Practice Certification for your externship placement, please contact the Pathways to Practice professor before submitting your application.

Pathways to Practice Course Application Form

Students participating in Pathways to Practice must submit the following document and upload them to the online application when applying to the externship program. These documents include:

1. Law Student Certification
   • Completed by the law student
2. Supervising Attorney Statement Form
   • Completed by the supervising attorney

The law school certification form will be completed by the Pathways professor and submitted to the State Bar once all required documents have been submitted. 

Student practice rules vary by jurisdiction. If your placement is outside North Carolina, you should:

• Review the student practice rule for that state's bar.
• Contact the appropriate state bar if you have questions.
• Work with your supervising attorney to ensure compliance with that state's requirements.

When requesting approval from NCCU School of Law for an out-of-state placement, students must provide documentation of the applicable student practice rule for that jurisdiction.

A list of state bar websites is available below for your convenience.

State Bar Directory

Please keep the following in mind:

• The North Carolina State Bar makes the final determination regarding Student Practice Certification. NCCU School of Law assists with processing certification requests but does not grant final approval.
• Students and supervising attorneys are responsible for reviewing and complying with the North Carolina State Bar Rules Governing the Practical Training of Law Students.
• All official certification forms are available through the North Carolina State Bar Forms webpage.

For questions regarding NCCU School of Law's certification process, please contact:

Lakethia Jefferies
Director, Pro Bono Clinic & Externship Program

For questions regarding eligibility, certification requirements, or interpretation of the Student Practice Rule, please contact:

North Carolina State Bar Student Practice

Phone: 919-828-4620

Email: [email protected]

• Law Student Practice Certification | North Carolina State Bar
• Rules Governing the Practical Training of Law Students
• North Carolina State Bar Forms
• U.S. State Bar Directory