At the onset of the federal government shutdown on October 1, GW Law student Arnelle Jean-Jacques, JD ‘27, was informed that her externship at the Securities and Exchange Commission would be put on a temporary pause.
She was not alone. Jean-Jacques and at least 45 other GW Law students were unable to perform any work in their federal government field placements once the shutdown began. As of October 20, 33 student externships remain paused as the shutdown persists. So far, that has meant 28 days of interrupted experiential learning opportunities. It also meant that students were in danger of not being able to complete the total number of course credits for which they had enrolled, and some may have lost financial aid awards dependent upon their status as full-time students.
Luckily for Jean-Jacques and the other impacted students, GW Law’s Field Placement Office didn’t hesitate to respond, connecting with alumni and faculty throughout the law school’s community to find alternative projects and opportunities.
“When the federal government shutdown disrupted student externships, the GW Law community rallied and answered the call to help our students, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to experiential learning,” Assistant Dean of Field Placement Keri McCoy said. “I blew the whistle, and our alumni and faculty answered the call. They expeditiously and eagerly jumped into action by providing short-term projects, ensuring that our students could continue to engage in meaningful, substantive legal work notwithstanding the shutdown.”
All students who sought alternate work have now been assigned to projects supporting state courts, helping with faculty scholarship and research, and supporting nonprofits and non-governmental organizations. These students have also been connected with their project supervisors and additional projects remain available, should the need arise. Furthermore, students can be assured that they will retain their full-time status, maintain their eligibility for scholarships and financial aid, and still graduate on time.
“I am heartened and impressed with the speed and agility with which Dean McCoy, her team in the Field Placement office were able to leverage the experience and expertise of the entire GW Law community to support our students,” GW Law Dean Dayna Bowen Matthew said. “The GW Law Field Placement program is the largest law school experiential externship program in the nation. It is a hallmark of our Law School’s D.C.-Infused education that distinctively equips our graduates to thrive in today’s dynamic job market. The government shutdown presents an unusual challenge for this signature program. But I am ecstatic to say GW Law is up to the challenge. Our staff, faculty, students, and alumni are meeting this unusual moment with ‘Raise High’ excellence.”
One of those alumni, Judge William Koch, JD ‘88, of the Minnesota District Court for the Fourth Judicial District provided the Field Placement Program with six assignments for the court. Thus far, two students have been assigned to his projects, which involve preparing a presentation and a memorandum related to probate and mental health matters.
“One of the reasons I chose to attend law school at GW was its central location for national, and international, organizations. It provides great opportunities to work closely with a wide variety of governmental and non-governmental organizations on so many important topics. You can see how the law, policy, and practice all come together for positive change,” Judge Koch said. “When the school reached out following the federal shutdown, I was happy to find a creative solution to an unexpected need. And my colleagues on the trial court bench here in the Minneapolis area were more than happy to offer some very interesting projects.”
The result is a display of the strength of GW Law’s community, in which alumni and faculty don’t hesitate to help students in need.
“In this extraordinary time, our community has rallied to be sure our students get the opportunity to engage in meaningful experiential learning and to serve the public good as they had planned to do. We are so grateful to all those who have taken on student externs and agreed to provide supervision,” commented Senior Associate Dean Laurie Kohn.
GW Law Community Meets the Moment
For Jean-Jacques, the swift response from the Field Placement Office, resulted in a project helping Professor Christopher Cotropia, the David Weaver Research Professor of Law, research the areas of patent law, trade law, and AI regulation.
That experience aligns with the work she was doing at the Securities and Exchange Commission, allowing her to explore how regulatory frameworks apply across different areas of law, including emerging issues in AI.
“GW Law prides itself on its community-oriented culture and in employing faculty who are dedicated to mentorship and student success,” Jean-Jacques said. “I’m extremely grateful that Professor Cotropia has offered to assist me throughout this process. As I continue to explore my interests at the intersection of technology and finance, I’m excited to assist him with research in areas of patent law, trade law, and AI regulation throughout the remainder of the semester."
Another student, Jaden Cloobeck, JD ‘26, is working with the National Zoning Atlas, evaluating zoning issues for various jurisdictions and collecting related regulatory documents as appropriate after his externship with the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on the Judiciary was paused. The National Zoning Atlas is led by Professor Sara Bronin, the Freda H. Alverson Professor of Law at GW.
Because of his interest in policy, Cloobeck is most excited about the opportunity to support the organization’s work in informing advocates about land use rules that shape and impact communities and policies at all levels of government.
“I am grateful that a GW Law professor offered me an opportunity to help her with a compelling research project to digitize zoning codes in the United States,” Cloobeck said.
Cloobeck and Jean-Jacques said the Field Placement Office’s response to the shutdown has eased their concerns about the potential impact on their externships.
"I can’t express enough how helpful Dean McCoy and the Field Placement Office have been throughout this period,” Jean-Jacques said. “While it is unfortunate that our externships have been paused, the Field Placement Office has been in weekly contact with us since before the shutdown and has consistently affirmed its commitment to ensuring we receive academic credit for our work this semester.”
The support of faculty and alumni like Professor Bronin, Professor Cotropia, and Judge Koch has been tremendously helpful in ensuring students like Cloobeck and Jean-Jacques don’t lose out on important educational experiences.
“It is important to maintain the continuity of substantive, experiential learning that enables our students to meet the educational objectives of the Field Placement Program and fulfill programmatic requirements, notwithstanding the government shutdown,” she said. “Further, it is critical for our students to continue receiving supervision and feedback on their work from experienced judges and attorneys so that they can continue developing their legal skills throughout the semester.”
To learn more about the Field Placement Program, please visit the Field Placement Program webpage.