Experiential Learning: How ‘Invaluable’ Externships Enrich WilmU Law Students

Growing up, Mary Macmillan wanted to be a lawyer or a veterinarian, and high school externships helped her decide. Now a Wilmington University School of Law student, she’s making the most of another externship, this time at Delaware’s Office of the Child Advocate.  

“Wilmington has given me such amazing opportunities to be involved in the Delaware legal community,” says Macmillan, who was a criminal justice major in college. “It’s just a very one-on-one personal experience.” 

She writes research memos, drafts court orders as needed, and attends meetings, including one with the state Senate Judiciary Committee about the Delaware Victims’ Bill of Rights and Victims’ Compensation Assistance Program. 

“It was a great example of how the legal system interacts and is intertwined with the legislative system,” Macmillan says. “The Office of the Child Advocate does more than just advocate in court for children — it advocates for the very laws that protect them.” 

She’s one of nine second-year WilmU Law students enjoying externships this semester. The others are working for judges, a law firm, the American Civil Liberties Union, Community Legal Aid Society and Department of Justice. 

Law School Externships Provide Hands-On Learning 

“They’re dipping their toe, so to speak, into what it’s like to practice law,” says Kimberly Gattuso, J.D., the associate dean for experiential learning. “They really get a glimpse into what the day-to-day activity is like as a lawyer.” 

For WilmU Law student Dalton Lahti, it’s been “an amazing opportunity for hands-on learning” with U.S. Magistrate Judge Sherry Fallon. 

“One of my biggest takeaways so far in my externship is the importance of clarity and organization in legal writing,” says Lahti, who earned a B.S. in Law, Policy and Political Science from Wilmington University. “Another major takeaway is just how interconnected Delaware truly is and the importance of a good reputation.” 

He appreciates “the opportunity not only to practice what we have been learning in school but also to learn from exceptional legal professionals who are at the pinnacle of their field.” 

Gattuso remembers her own externship with a Kent County judge and encourages the legal community to get involved with WilmU Law programs. She’s excited to work with judges, law firms, nonprofits, government agencies and other groups to offer comprehensive experiential learning. 

“The impact a host organization can have on a student at this stage will be something that stays with them their entire career,” Gattuso says. And her students agree. 

At the Office of the Child Advocate, “I’m able to take what I’ve learned and apply it to something concrete,” Macmillan says. “The work that they do is so important, and I’m grateful to have this opportunity.” 

“The experience has been both challenging and fulfilling,” Lahti says. “It has been one of the most invaluable parts of my legal education thus far.”