In WashU Law’s Lawyering Practice Externship (LPE), law students work in legal offices across St. Louis and southern Illinois, gaining hands-on experience in litigation, intellectual property, regulatory, and transactional practice in both public and private settings. At the end of their placements, students complete one final assignment: a thank-you note to the supervisor who guided them.
LPE Co-Directors Mahiili Rojas and Carmen Ubarri created the assignment after repeatedly hearing from students how much they valued field supervisors who invested in their learning and professional development. The notes are more than an expression of gratitude. They give students a chance to reflect on what they learned, how they grew, and who helped make that growth possible.
LPE places students in working legal offices, where they take on the same kinds of tasks they will handle as new attorneys. Depending on their placements, students draft motions, research case law, review trademark and patent matters, analyze regulatory requirements, and help prepare contracts and business transactions. For many, it is the first time classroom concepts connect to real clients and real stakes.
For Professor Ubarri, the program’s value lies in the room it gives students to explore:
“What I love most about LPE is the freedom it gives students to explore. Students gain real, hands-on experience alongside attorneys in our community and have the opportunity to explore a practice area that interests them, even if it is outside their planned career path. Those experiences build skills and confidence, prepare students for whatever comes next, and may open doors they never expected.”
Professor Rojas sees that growth firsthand:
“One of the greatest joys of supervising an extern is watching them discover that they belong in this profession. Students come in with knowledge, talent, and a strong academic foundation, but they often don’t yet realize how much they are capable of. Over the course of a semester, they take on new challenges, build confidence, learn to navigate real client issues, and begin to see themselves as future lawyers. Being trusted to support that journey, celebrate their growth, and help them develop their professional identity is an incredible privilege.”
What students value most about their externships is often not a single assignment but the people they work with. Field supervisors give students room to take ownership of meaningful work, offer candid feedback that sharpens their skills, and make time for mentorship, whether talking through a legal strategy or sharing advice about building a career.
That balance of independence and support builds confidence. Students learn to make judgment calls, ask better questions, and see their own progress over the course of the externship.
The thank-you note assignment asks students to pause and name specifically what their supervisors gave them. In their notes, students thanked supervisors for trusting them with real responsibility, for patient explanations, and for treating them as members of the team.
“Thank you for the autonomy in my writing and for the chance to gain meaningful experience in litigation and the various stages of a case. I also value your flexibility and your thoughtful feedback. I have gained so much knowledge under your guidance, and I have felt supported and valued throughout this experience.” — Emma
“From the beginning, I was grateful that you understood I hadn’t yet learned contract drafting, and you gave me materials to support my learning. I’m thrilled to be gaining experience in patent, intellectual property, regulatory, and transactional work. You have gone beyond explaining concepts and have been genuinely committed to my learning. It has been an outstanding experience.” — Jake
“Thank you for the chance to learn about new areas of law, for being so communicative and present, and for the respect and responsibility you give me.” — Courtney
“Thank you for the space to learn and practice law, with the support of a community of wonderful lawyers who are helping vulnerable people. Thank you for showing me the details of arguments and how to navigate a case, and for the chance to talk directly with clients.” — Dylan
For supervisors, the notes show the impact of their mentorship. For students, they mark the close of an experience that helped shape the lawyers they are becoming.
