At The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, LLM students have the option of participating in several experiential learning opportunities that offer meaningful ways for professional growth, lawyering skills development, and academic enrichment.
Live-client clinics, simulation-based skills courses, and externships allow you to practice critical lawyering skills and to apply the theories learned in the classroom to address real-world, complex legal issues. Experiential learning helps build the practical skills that will make you more marketable in the global legal job market.
Experiential Learning Opportunities for LLM Students
Selected LLM students earn 4 credit hours for participating in this clinic. Typically, students participate in an intensive mediation training and are then required to mediate live cases. Under the supervision of Moritz faculty members, our LLM students have the opportunity to work with live parties and mediate cases in lieu of litigation.
Through intensive training, classroom lectures, discussions, exercises, and live clinical experiences, students learn how to become effective mediators, while also studying key issues involving different types of mediation, methods, and the state of the law and mediation. Students learn and practice crucial communication skills that enable them to effectively sort through challenging disputes between parties who are often passionate and adamant in their positions and allow those parties to more effectively communicate with each other.
Selected LLM students will work directly with leaders of the Ohio General Assembly and other key legislative players on matters arising before the Ohio House and Senate. The clinic is one of the few legislation clinics in the entire nation, offering Moritz students the rare opportunity to glimpse behind the scenes of the legislative process.
Students earn 4 credit hours for this course. Classroom discussions combined with clinical placements teach Moritz students how to research and analyze current and potential legislative issues, expose them to the challenges of information-sharing in a partisan context, and develop their negotiation and consensus-building skills.
The Public Interest Externship Program places JD and LLM students every semester in state and federal governmental agencies and with non-profit organizations. The Program is able to place about 40 students each semester, thanks to Moritz’s established relationships with a host of state and federal government agencies and nonprofit organizations in Ohio, including the Federal Public Defenders’ Office, the Franklin County Public Defender, the Legal Aid Society of Columbus, and The Ohio State University Office of Compliance and Integrity. In addition to these and other placements, students have the opportunity to find their own placements.
Through this externship program, LLM students have the opportunity to gain hands-on, real-life work experience that helps sharpen their lawyering skills. Students receive 3 credits in Autumn and Spring and their choice of 2 or 4 credits for the Summer Semester. Our dedicated LL.M. Career Counselor provides support to students in applying for and securing a placement in this program.
This 3-credit course provides opportunities for students to obtain hands-on experience with myriad regulatory compliance issues facing with The Ohio State University. Sponsored by the Office of University Compliance and Integrity, Externs will be assigned to work throughout the semester in a specific compliance area, such as: Athletics, Conflicts of Interest and Ethics, Environmental Health and Safety, Financial Aid, Information Security and Privacy, Institutional Equity. Externs will assist with all aspects of a comprehensive compliance program, including ethical values and leadership engagement; risk assessment and abatement, communication, operational controls, evaluation, issue response and reporting.
A wide array of simulation-based skills courses are available to LLM students that combine classroom teaching with field-placement projects. Students have the opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge into active, hands-on practice.
LLM students at Moritz have the opportunity to begin developing practical skills early in their careers through participation in various moot court competitions, such team-building skills, public speaking skills, oral advocacy skills, and analytical thinking. You will also be able to gain a deep understanding of complex legal issues that prepares you for a future legal practice in the area covered in the competition.
Each year, Moritz selects a team of four students to participate in the annual LLM International Commercial Arbitration Moot Competition organized and hosted by the American University Washington College of Law. Through this competition, you will hone your lawyering skills and gain a deeper knowledge of international commercial and investment arbitration. Moritz awards one credit hour to its participating students.
LLM students may select to participate in moot competitions organized by Moritz, including the Lawrence Negotiations Competition; Moritz Representation in Mediations Competition; Moritz 1L Competition. View more details about these competitions.
Moritz Moot Court Teams
