Field Supervisor's Responsibilities
Field Supervisors are important partners in guiding the professional development of students. Field Supervisors’ feedback and advice help students develop the skills and understanding needed to be successful lawyers and professionals, and provide insight into aspects of practice that can only be gained through real world experience. When field supervisors agree to mentor a student, they sign a Memorandum of Understanding, which outlines the student’s, school’s and supervisor’s responsibilities. These supervisor responsibilities include:
- Discussing goals with the student at the beginning of the externship.
- Assigning substantive and meaningful legal and law-related work. This should include opportunities for observation, especially any meetings or hearings connected with issues on which the student worked.
- Being available to discuss assignments and general observations with the student, and provide feedback on performance. Feedback is critical to a student’s learning, and it is expected that a supervisor will discuss the many aspects of practice or judging – including issues of professional responsibility – throughout the semester
- Verifying the student’s hours, and complete an evaluation (provided by the school) and discuss it with the student at the end of semester.
- Field Supervisors must agree not to bill a client for a student’s time spent on client matters unless the student is being paid by the supervisor/site.
- Field Supervisors are subject to the Texas A&M University Nondiscrimination and Abuse Policy.