Favorites ()
Apply
Four LLM Students with Mentor

LL.M. in U.S. Law

Mentor Externship Program

Mentor Externship Program

We know how important relationships are in your legal training. St. Thomas offers an award-winning Mentor Externship Program that will pair you with a local practicing lawyer or judge, who will provide guidance and fieldwork experiences for you throughout your program. Our mentors, faculty and staff are committed to helping students develop practical skills, professional values and relationships that will last a lifetime.

Contact

Cristina Calderón

Director of Global Outreach
Cristina Calderon Headshot
Email
ccalderon@stthomas.edu
Phone Number
651-962-4901

Mentor Relationships

  • Pairing
  • Developing Relationships
  • Ongoing Feedback and Guidance

    • Pairing

    We individually pair each student with a mentor who complements their interests, studies and professional goals.

    Developing Relationships

    Students develop relationships with their mentor while observing legal work, attending or being involved in professional activities and having conversations with the mentor.

    Ongoing Feedback and Guidance

    Students receive feedback and guidance from a faculty member in group class sessions focused on developing essential competencies and mentor/mentee relationships. In class, students share what they are seeing and doing with their mentors, with a particular focus on intercultural challenges.

    Pairing

    We individually pair each student with a mentor who complements their interests, studies and professional goals.

    Developing Relationships

    Students develop relationships with their mentor while observing legal work, attending or being involved in professional activities and having conversations with the mentor.

    Ongoing Feedback and Guidance

    Students receive feedback and guidance from a faculty member in group class sessions focused on developing essential competencies and mentor/mentee relationships. In class, students share what they are seeing and doing with their mentors, with a particular focus on intercultural challenges.
    Gustavo Ortiz Reynoso talks to his mentor Esteban Rivera

    A Leader Among Law Schools

    Program Excellence

    The Mentor Externship Program has received the distinguished E. Smythe Gambrell Professionalism Award. It was one of three national finalists for an ABA award on innovations in teaching professionalism and plays a significant role in why St. Thomas is ranked #1 in the U.S. for practical training.

    Our Alumni

    Read what alumni of the LL.M. program have to say about the mentor program.
    Andrea Pérez Calijan headshot Sandra Mercado Azurin headshot Mónica Sánchez headshot

    Andrea Pérez Calijan, Guatemala

    "Through the mentor program, I was able to meet different attorneys and share experiences, even in court. I was able to understand the court system, laws and jurisdictions. The program strengthened my professional career and practical experience."

    Sandra Mercado Azurin, Peru

    “I was able to work alongside my mentor, gain knowledge of the American legal practice and attend and participate in meetings with her legal staff, all while applying what I have been learning in my LL.M. classes.”

    Mónica Sánchez, Costa Rica

    "The mentor program provides hands-on experiences where we can not only learn from the mentors, but also provide insight and knowledge from our practice to them, too. It is a very rich interchange of knowledge."
    Henneepin county judges clerks and University of St Thomas Law students

    Legal Professionals

    Our Mentors

    More than 1,700 respected lawyers and judges have served as mentors to St. Thomas law students. They represent the highest standards of professionalism, reflect the diversity of the profession in all its forms and come from all sectors of the profession.