Where Legal Education Meets the Profession

Elon Law’s signature Residency-in-Practice Program anchors our innovative, skills-based curriculum. Essential to every Elon Law student’s education, this full-time, course-connected experience places students inside judicial chambers and law offices to learn the profession by practicing it — alongside attorneys and judges committed to mentoring the next generation of legal leaders.

Students describe it as “living and breathing what it’s like to be a lawyer.”

In an immersive and fully integrated learning experience, every Elon Law student joins a legal team for 10 weeks in the winter or spring of their second year. They participate in client conferences, meet with other judges and counsel, prepare research memoranda and legal pleadings and — in certain placements —  appear in court with a practice certificate under the supervision of an experienced attorney. Residency supervisors provide feedback, mentorship and opportunities to network with other legal professionals that prepare students for success.

The result: Integrated academic and practical experience that makes Elon Law graduates practice ready.

Important Information for Students and Residency Supervisors

STUDENTS: Familiarize yourself with residency placement information that includes details on credit hours for current 2Ls and the match process (with links to forms) for 1Ls starting to plan for the upcoming academic year.

JUDGES & ATTORNEYS: Learn how to become a Residency-in-Practice Program Supervisor and express interest in becoming a residency supervisor who helps shape the future of the profession of law.

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Learn the Law by Practicing It

Residencies create the opportunity for partnerships between Elon Law and the practicing bar and bench, unlike any working relationship in the profession. For 10 weeks, students step out of the classroom and into full-time legal practice while remaining academically connected through faculty-guided coursework. This intentional design ensures students aren’t simply completing tasks, but developing the skills, judgment, professionalism and values required for effective lawyering.

How the Residency-in-Practice Program Works

• Students are matched with host residency placements based on their professional goals and eligibility.
• Alternatively, students may independently arrange a residency placement in a variety of legal settings anywhere in the U.S. wthat will provide substantial lawyering opportunities. (Students: Learn more about independent placement, judicial placement and the residency match process.)
• Students work 32-36 per week for 10 weeks beginning in January or April of their second year as a member of a legal team, much like a junior associate or first-year law clerk.
• With guidance from faculty and residency supervisors, students develop a learning plan to drive legal assignments, feedback, reflection and professional growth.

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A Partnership with the Legal Profession

The Residency-in-Practice Program is built on strong partnerships between Elon Law and experienced jurists and lawyers who mentor and shape future colleagues while strengthening the profession.

Through these relationships, students learn not only how lawyers practice, but why ethics, professionalism, sound judgment, and service matter — lessons best learned through hands-on experience. The program benefits students, supervisors and communities by advancing a shared commitment to excellence in legal practice.

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QUESTIONS about Elon Law’s Residency-in-Practice Program? Contact Associate Professor Kathy Conner, Director of Residencies at Elon Law, at kconner2@elon.edu or 336-279-9311, 201 N. Greene Street, Greensboro, NC, 27401.

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Reflections on the Importance of Experiential Learning