Real-world experience. Academic credit. Professional growth.
At U of T Law, externships offer students the opportunity to step into the legal profession while earning academic credit. These placements are designed to immerse students in diverse legal environments – ranging from advocacy organizations and government agencies to hospitals, startups, and research labs.
We differentiate our in-house legal clinics from our for-credit externships, which are hosted by external organizations. This distinction allows us to offer a broad and growing range of placements that reflect the evolving interests of our students and the legal landscape.
In 2023-24, we offered 137 for-credit externships into new areas such as municipal government, media law, and legal innovation.
Diverse opportunities
Our externships are carefully curated to provide meaningful, hands-on legal experience. 2025-26 placements will include:
- Aboriginal Legal Services
- Advocates for Injured Workers (AIW)
- Appellate Criminal Litigation
- Barbra Schlifer Clinic
- City of Toronto
- Environmental Law externships
- Health Justice Program, St. Michael’s Academic Family Health Team
- Human Rights and Indigenous Peoples, Ontario Human Rights Commission
- Innocence Canada
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship externships
- Investigative Journalism Bureau, Toronto Star
- John Howard Society of Ontario (JHSO)
- Legislative Research Service of the Ontario Legislative Assembly
- Mergers & Acquisitions externships
- OnBoard team, Rotman School of Management
- Pro Bono Ontario
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Centre for Innovation Law and Policy
- The Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR)
- The Citizen Lab, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
These placements will allow students to engage in legal research, client advocacy, policy development, and more – while working alongside experienced professionals in the field.
How to get involved
Students interested in externships should consult the Course Calendar for current offerings and application details. Each externship is structured to include supervision, reflection, and academic evaluation, ensuring a rigorous and rewarding learning experience.