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Field Placements

Our Story, Our Services

Albany Law School students get a rich academic experience on campus, but they also have the opportunity to explore real-world legal situations through field placements.

The Field Placement Program is a partnership between the Justice Center, selected law offices in the Capital Region and beyond, and law student interns designed to help students learn from experience and prepare for the profession.

Working under the guidance of experienced attorneys in their field placement, and with faculty support, students develop skills, knowledge, and professional identity and values, and build professional habits in accor- dance with their specific educational goals.

Second- and third-year students receive academic credit while they serve as interns at one of more than 140 placements in various areas of law practice including: criminal defense or prosecution, public interest advocacy, government law, science & technology or in judicial chambers.

Students spend approximately 12 hours per week working with supervising attorneys on site, and also participate in weekly seminars related to learning from experience. Field placements are available across all of the law school’s areas of expertise.

Areas of Placement

Over 100 students participate in the field placement program each year. Most placements involve public interest and public service.

Public Interest – Students work in public interest organizations to better the lives of people who often have no voice in the legal system: immigrants seeking protection; victims of domestic violence, abuse or neglect; indigent clients facing eviction or foreclosure; people with disabilities experiencing discrimination, etc.

Criminal Law – Students work in Public Defender’s offices representing clients in the criminal justice system or with District Attorney Offices, the offices responsible for prosecuting crimes.

Government and Public Service – Students intern in local, state or federal government, or not-for-profit organizations. Placements include the legislature, state or city agencies. Students may work in various fields including environmental law, health law, real property, technology, or labor and employment law.

Judicial/Courts – Students work in a city, county, state or federal court under the supervision of a judge or magistrate and their law clerks. Students observe judicial proceedings, participate in chamber discussions, review files, conduct research and write proposed decisions or bench memoranda.

U.S. Attorney – Students work with the US Attorney’s Office assisting AUSAs in litigation on behalf of the U.S. government including prosecution of violations of federal criminal law and prosecution and defense in civil actions, suits or proceedings in which the government is concerned.

Racial Justice – The Justice Center has taken steps to identify new field placements that offer students opportunities to work on policy, research, and advocacy addressing racial justice.

Semester in Practice – An opportunity to immerse themselves in judicial, governmental, public and select private law offices across the country for an intense full-time semester-long placement experience.

City Semester Program – Students have the opportunity to study outside the Capital Region by taking a blend of online and field placement courses in cities like New York City, Washington, D.C., and Boston.

Placement Sites

The following is a condensed list of past placements from Albany Law School students.

    Criminal Law Defense

    • Albany County Public Defender
    • Schenectady County Public Defender
    • Saratoga County Public Defender
    • Rensselaer County Public Defender
    • Albany County Conflict Defender
    • NYS Defenders Association
    • Federal Public Defender
    • NYS Office of Indigent Legal Services

    Criminal Law Prosecution

    • Albany County District Attorney
    • Albany County District Attorney – Diversion Programs
    • New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services
    • NYS Attorney General's Office - Criminal Prosecutions Bureau
    • NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services
    • NYS Office of the Inspector General
    • Rensselaer County District Attorney
    • Saratoga County District Attorney
    • Schenectady County District Attorney
    • Ulster County District Attorney
    • Warren County District Attorney
    • Washington County District Attorney

    Public Interest

    • Albany County Department of Social Services
    • Capital District Women's Bar Association: The Legal Project
    • Columbia County Department of Social Services
    • Disability Rights NY (formerly Disability Advocates, Inc.)
    • Empire Justice Center
    • Legal Aid Offices in Albany or Saratoga Springs
    • Mental Hygiene Legal Services
    • NY Farm Bureau, Inc.
    • NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities
    • NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence
    • NYS Office of Children and Family Services - Office of the Ombudsman
    • Office of Administrative Hearings
    • Prisoners Legal Service - Immigration Project
    • Prisoner's Legal Services

    Tech

    • Center for Internet Security
    • Global Foundries
    • SUNY - Research Foundation

    Agencies

    • City of Albany Corporation Counsel
    • Albany County Corporation Counsel
    • NYS Dept of Environmental Conservation – general counsel
    • NYS DEC, Office of Hearings and Mediation services
    • NYS Dept of Health
    • NYS Public Service Commission
    • NYS Office of Children and Family Services
    • New York Attorney General’s Office (various bureaus)
      •     Real Property Bureau
      •     Consumer Frauds
      •     Sex Offender Management
      •     Charities Bureau
      •     Appeals and Opinions
      •     Medicaid Fraud Claims Litigation
    • NYS Governor’s Counsel,
    • Executive Chamber
    • NYS Assembly & Senate
    • NYS Comptroller
    • NYS Consumer Protection Board
    • NYS Gaming Commission
    • NYS Liquor Authority
    • NYS Thruway Authority
    • US Attorney’s Office, NDNY

    Judicial/Courts

    • NYS County, City, Town, and Village
    • Courts (civil, criminal, and family courts)
    • Albany Surrogates Court
    • NYS Unified Court System – Office of Court Administration
    • NYS Supreme (Civil Trial Courts)
    • Appellate Division, Third Department (Appeals Court)
    • US District Court NDNY (various trial judge and magistrate judge chambers)

    National

    • U.S. Attorney’s Office
    • The White House
    • Pfizer
    • Chambers of federal judges
    • Federal Defender Service of Tennessee

    Semester in Practice

    An opportunity to immerse themselves in judicial, governmental, public and select private law offices across the country for an intense full-time semester-long placement experience.

    Second- and third-year students are afforded a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in exceptional judicial, governmental, public interest and select private law offices for an intense semester-long placement experience. Under the direct supervision of highly experienced supervising attorney/mentors, students will spend 33 hours per week participating in and conducting the legal work of their chosen office. In prior years, students have worked at such placements as the White House, Pfizer, the New York Police Department, in the chambers of federal judges, the Federal Defender Service of Tennessee, and the New York Attorney General’s Office.​

    Learn More

    Contact:

    Ray Brescia
    Hon. Harold R. Tyler Chair in Law and Technology; Professor of Law
    rbres@albanylaw.edu

    City Semester Program

    Albany Law School’s City Semester Program gives students the opportunity to study outside the Capital Region of New York State by taking a blend of online and field placement courses in cities like New York City, Washington, D.C., and Boston. Through the City Semester program, law students can explore a community where they might want to practice after graduation, take stimulating courses, build their professional network, participate in field work in an area of law that intrigues them, or simply live and work closer to home.

    Most students work in government and non-profit settings, engaging in legal representation and assistance to the public. In limited circumstances, students can work in a private law firm, and other private law settings. Enriching opportunities like the City Semester Program make the study of law flexible for Albany Law's students, exposing them to new opportunities, broadening their horizons, and enabling them to build careers in which they can make an impact on their clients and communities.

    Contact:

    Ray Brescia
    Hon. Harold R. Tyler Chair in Law and Technology; Professor of Law
    rbres@albanylaw.edu