Judicial Externships

The purpose of the Judicial Externship Program is to help law students who meet academic externship qualification standards (link) earn academic credit while developing their professional identity and professionals skills (link) needed to practice law through unpaid externships with federal (link), state (link), and tribal (link) courts. Judicial Externships also enable students to learn firsthand how courts function and how attorneys help or hinder the ability of courts to resolve cases fairly and efficiently. Thus, the Program provide students with the opportunity to include practical, hands-on experience as part of their law school education, and is intended to ensure a high quality experience for students working under the supervision of judges and or legally trained court administrators.

To earn academic credit (link) for their externships, students must work 45 hours in the court per credit hour earned. In addition, they are required to attend a faculty-led Judicial Externship course, submit evaluations and weekly timesheets, and complete other assignments.

Students enrolling in Judicial Externships enroll in the 0 credit Externship and Course corresponding to the Court for which he/she will extern – Federal & State Court Externships and Course (course number 5070) or Tribal Court Externships and Course (course number 5740) – and Field Studies Externship (course numbers 6202, 6203, 6204, 6205).

To enroll in a Judicial Externship, students must secure an externship with an eligible court and submit the following documents to Professor Richard Paschal, Director of Judicial Externships, in care of Marta Swanson, Administrative Assistant to Vice Dean Allison (students will not be permitted to enroll until these documents are field with and approved by Professor Paschal).

•  Student Application for Externship (link)
•  Extern Supervisor and Extern Agreement (link)
 •  Statement of Educational Goals (link) 
• Judicial Externship Packet (link)
 • Current Résumé

Students are primarily responsible for securing their own externships. In this endeavor, they will be aided by the Professional Development Office (link), which will each semester and summer term have listed on Symplicity (link) the law firms, businesses, government agencies, non-profit organization and non-governmental organizations that are willing to host externs (Legal Externships will be listed on Symplicity as Legal Externship, and you can search for the posting by using keyword “Externship.” To secure a legal externship through Symplicity, students must submit via Symplicity a transcript, résumé and cover letter at least 45 days prior to the next enrollment period. The Professional Development Office will also consult with students about how to secure externships other than those available on Symplicity.