Cooperative Legal Education Program

As the trend in legal education moves toward experiential learning, many of the nation’s top law schools look to Northeastern University School of Law as the model. Considering that we’ve been successfully running our Cooperative Legal Education Program since 1968, and it’s by far the largest and most thorough program of its kind, we commend them on their choice.

What it is

Most law schools try to help you land summer internships and offer limited externship opportunities. NUSL is different. We integrate four quarters of full-time employment into our curriculum. You’ll do real work in real legal settings—at law firms, with judges, and in public interest law settings, including government and service organizations. You could co-op with a large law firm in Boston or New York, a government agency in Washington, DC, or an international human rights organization in Geneva. With more than 900 co-op employers in more than 40 states and a number of foreign countries, NUSL lets you tailor your co-op experience to your professional interests.

How it works

After you complete your first year of academic study, you’ll begin alternating quarters as a full-time student with quarters as a full-time legal professional. On co-op, you’ll put classroom theories, and theories about yourself, to the test. You and your peers will bring those experiences and diverse perspectives back to the classroom for enriching discussions and preparation for your next assignment.

The result

You’ll emerge confident, with polished legal skills and a resume packed full of great experience—all while staying on the traditional three-year JD track. Most students’ post-graduate prospects are substantially enhanced through the program and, on average, 40 percent of students accept post-graduate employment with a former co-op employer. But no matter where you go, you’re ready.