Cultivating Professional Identity Through Lawyering Experience: Insights from the Samuel S. Lionel Externship Program
The Samuel S. Lionel Externship Program provides students an opportunity to enhance their legal education by learning through observation and hands-on experience while under the direct supervision of lawyers and judges in a variety of settings. Externships are elective experiential learning courses that integrate class work with real-world experience. The combined academic and field components of the program are designed to help students acquire or deepen their legal knowledge, develop and practice lawyering skills, begin to develop their professional identity, and become a self-directed, lifelong learner.
Student Spotlight
Dionne Stanfill ('26)
Nevada Governor, General Counsel's Office (Spring '25)
During her legislative externship, Dionne undertook a diverse array of responsibilities within the Office of the Governor’s legal division. Her work included tracking legislative session bills, handling public record requests, managing extradition cases, and assisting with pardons board matters. Notably, Dionne collaborated on drafting a bill, gaining insight into the operations of the Governor’s Office, the functions of state agencies, and the legislative process.
“The hands-on experience gave me real insight into how state government operates, but the best part was the people I met and the connections I built across Nevada.”
