University of St. Thomas

LAW 910  Judicial Externship

Course Description and Application Instructions for Summer 2011

 

The purpose of the Judicial Externship is to offer students an opportunity to learn about the judicial process and the role of judges and judicial clerks while under the direct supervision of a state or federal judge or justice.

 

The Judicial Externship will involve 150 hours of total work over the summer for three credits. The 150 hours include time spent in the classroom seminar, on readings and journals, a presentation to the seminar, and on the actual project work assigned by the judge. 

 

The Judicial Externship is demanding in terms of the quality of expected work product and the degree of professionalism required.  Judges will expect students to have excellent research, analytical, and writing skills. Judges will also expect students to be able to express their opinions about the issues under consideration. Students must be certain that they are prepared to commit to the work schedule a judge may require for a particular project – the work flow for this Externship may be lumpy over the course of the semester.

 

Dropping the externship will obviously upset a judge’s calendar. For this reason, once a student is selected for the Judicial Externship, the only reason a student may drop the course after the third week of the semester is for a personal, medical, or family crisis.

 

To be eligible for the Judicial Externship, a student must meet the following criteria:  

1. The completion of three semesters of law school; 

2. Good academic standing; 

3. Successful completion of Evidence, Lawyering Skills I, II, Professional Responsibility and either Lawyering Skills III or the Upper Level Writing Requirement; 

4. Enrollment at UST School of Law during the semester immediately preceding the one in which the student expects to enroll in the Judicial Externship; and

5. Other prerequisites as required by the judge or justice.

 

Enrollment is limited to 12 students.  Students may not register for this course on the web.  Applying for the externship is a two-step process.  Step 1 requires submitting (1) a statement explaining both how the student meets each of the first four criteria above and why the student wants to participate in the externship and (2) a resume. The pool of applicants will consist of those students who meet the criteria. Step 2 requires a participating judge to agree to work with a student from the approved pool of applicants. Students will not be considered for the Judicial Externship unless they satisfy the prerequisites. 

 

After the close of the application process, Assistant Dean Lisa Montpetit Brabbit and the course instructor will review all submitted material and invite 12 students to participate in the externship. 

 

Students may wish to register for courses under the assumption they will not be selected for the Judicial Externship. If a student is selected, the student can drop other courses as necessary to stay within the maximum credits per semester policy.

 

Interested students should submit the required statement and resume by e-mail or in person to Assistant Dean Lisa Montpetit Brabbit, MSL 331, by March 18, at 4:00 p.m.  Each applicant will be notified regarding his or her acceptance no later than April 15.  If a student has the agreement of a particular judge to serve as a Judicial Externship placement for the student, please give that information to Dean Lisa Brabbit when you submit your application.

~