§ 66550. — 66550. (Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 292, Sec. 2.)

For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:
(a)
“Compensation” includes, but is not limited to, financial compensation in the form of travel costs, stipends, minimum or higher hourly wages, or additional wages and benefits set by employers.
(b)
“Externship” means the field placement work performed by a law student at a state agency, nongovernmental organization, nonprofit organization, or for-profit firm, as part of their legal education, that is completed within the law school’s course guidelines for the purpose of receiving law school credit.
(c)
(1)
“Externship site” or “employer” means the place of employment where a law student performs their externship that is approved by a law school to provide law students with practical field experience consistent with the requirements for academic course credit provided by the law school.
(2)
For purposes of this subdivision, an externship site may be in person, hybrid, or remote, and includes any externship site regardless of whether the externship site is located in California or out of state.
(d)
“Externship site criteria” means the factors or other requirements used by a law school to determine whether an externship site is eligible or approved for extern placement.
(e)
“Law school” means an American Bar Association-accredited
or California-accredited law school at the University of California or an independent institution of higher education, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 66010, that receives, or benefits from, state-funded student financial assistance or that enrolls students who receive state-funded student financial assistance.
(f)
“Law student” means an individual enrolled at a law school. For purposes of this subdivision “law student” includes individuals earning their Juris Doctor (J.D.), Master of Laws (LL.M.), or Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D.) degrees.

Legislative History

Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 292, Sec. 2. (AB 1155) Effective January 1, 2026.