Course Schedule

Registration Information:

This course is restricted to upper class students only. U.S. Army Internship – APPLICATION REQUIRED. Application and/or instructions on how to apply for this internship can be accessed on the web: http://law.utexas.edu/internships/u-s-army-internship-application/.

To apply, please e-mail a copy of your cover letter, resume and transcript (unofficial is fine) to Prof. Susan Klein at sklein@law.utexas.edu and to Captain Michael Green at michael.a.green315.mil@army.mil if you are interested in Trial Defense Services, and/or to Prof. Susan Klein and Lieutenant Scott Goble at scott.1.goble.mil@army.mil if you are interested in the Prosecutor’s Office. Students interested in the externship are welcome to stop by Prof. Klein’s office at TNH 3.207 for additional information. Her office hours are Wed. from 4:00 to 7:00 pm, or by appointment. You may call or text her at (512) 203-2257 or send her an e-mail. Alternatively, you can reach the Fort Hood Trial Defense office at (254) 287-0476, and the Ft. Hood Prosecutor’s Office at (254) 553-2524.

** This course meets the Professional Skills requirement for graduation. **

Course Description:

This program offers students the opportunity to apply for “for-credit” externship positions with the United States Army JAG Corps, Trial Defense Service or Prosecution Service, Fort Hood Field Office. Students earn two-credits “pass-fail” for the semester. While this program is not available during either summer session, students are welcome to apply for non-credit summer internship positions directly with that office. Students may apply for the externship for a single semester.

Students will assist prosecutors or defense counsels (and paralegals) in administrative separations and criminal proceedings pursuant to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The Fort Hood Legal office is the largest and busiest office in the Army. Attorneys there have federal felony jury trials monthly, similar to those seen in a Federal District Court but often with crimes and facts unique to the military. Army JAG officers regularly change jobs, working as prosecutors, magistrate judges, defense attorneys, national security attorneys, and trial/appellate judges. This creates a level of collegiality and rapport not seen in criminal justice practice elsewhere.

Applicants may benefit from upper-level criminal law courses such as Adv. Fed. Crim. Prosecution & Defense, Federal Criminal Law, National Security Law, Cybersecurity Law, Criminal Procedure: Investigation, Crim. Procedure: Prosecution (bail to jail), and Evidence. None of those courses are required.

The externship requires 10 hours per week for the 14-week semester, though most hours can be completed outside of the office. Students should expect to spend one day per week at the U.S Army Trial Defense Service, 330 761st Tank Destroyer Blvd., Fort Hood, Tx, 76544, or at the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Building 1000, 761st Tank Battalion Ave., Ft. Hood, TX, 76544, working in the office or in court. Ft. Hood is located about halfway between Austin and Waco, a bit over an hour’s drive from the law school or about 50 minutes from Georgetown.

The application deadline for Fall 2026 is Monday, April 13, 2026. The application deadline for Spring 2027 is Monday, October 19, 2026. Interviews are conducted at the Career Services Office or over Zoom. Students will receive the unique registration number for the Spring 2026 semester once they are accepted into the program.

Additional Information

Information about the U.S. Army Trial Defense Service, is available at: Trial Defense Service Public (army.mil).

This course is restricted to upper class students only. APPLICATION IS REQUIRED. Application and/or instructions on how to apply for this internship can be accessed on the web: http://law.utexas.edu/internships/application-information/u-s-attorney-internship/ 

To apply, please e-mail a copy of your cover letter, resume and transcript (unofficial is fine) to AUSA Daniel Castillo at daniel.castillo@usdoj.gov, Prof. Klein at sklein@law.utexas.edu, and the staffing office at usatxw.staffing@usdoj.gov. Students interested in the internship are encouraged to stop by Prof. Susan Klein’s office at TNH 3.207 for additional information. Her office hours are on Wednesdays from 4:00 to 7:00 pm, or by appointment. You may call her at (512) 203-2257 or send an e-mail. You may also contact AUSA Castillo at (512) 916-5858 or via email.

** This course meets the Professional Skills requirement for graduation. **

Course Description:

This program offers four or five students internship positions with the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division. Students are expected to work 10 hours per week for each semester. The office is located at 903 San Jacinto Blvd., Suite 334 Austin, Texas 78701. Some of those hours can be completed at school or at home. Students will assist in the prosecution of federal criminal cases under the supervision of Assistant U.S. Attorneys. Students will receive two credits "pass-fail" for the internship for each semester, for a total of four credits. Information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office is available at: www.usdoj.gov/usao/txw/.

Students may wish to enroll in Adv. Fed. Crim. Prosecution & Defense, Federal Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure: Investigation, Criminal Procedure: Prosecution (bail to jail) and Evidence. However, none of those courses are required.

The application deadline for the next academic year is Friday, March 27, 2026. Though students will know whether they are selected for the program before fall registration, the unique number for the fall 2026 internship may not be available then. Interviews will be conducted at the Career Services Office or via Zoom.

 Additional Information

 Additional information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office internship program may be reviewed at

 https://www.justice.gov/legal-careers/job/law-student-volunteer-academic-year-0.

This course examines a range of contemporary issues in policing, prosecution, and punishment through the lens of a series of documentary films and related short reading assignments. Through class discussion and exchange of short response papers to the films, students will explore and critically examine a range of issues and controversies in the American criminal justice system, including the expansion in the role and powers of the police resulting from the War on Drugs; the use of racial profiling, no-knock warrants, and other policing practices; officer-involved shootings and the doctrine of qualified immunity; the "school-to-prison pipeline; sex offender registries; the prosecution of juveniles in criminal court; and long-term solitary confinement, among other issues. Students will discuss and explore the feasibility of alternative approaches to these practices and examine the legal, political, and practical obstacles to reform.

Jurisdiction & Judgments is a course in Conflict of Laws. Conflict of Laws addresses issues that may arise when a dispute or transaction has connections with more than one state or country. The subject is generally divided into three interrelated topics: (1) territorial jurisdiction (and related doctrines), (2) choice of law, and (3) recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. This course focuses on the first and third topics: specifically, territorial jurisdiction, forum non conveniens, forum selection clauses, and the recognition and enforcement of judgments rendered by the courts of other states and countries. Choice of law is the focus of a separate course titled “Conflict of Laws,” and is covered in Jurisdiction & Judgments only to the extent necessary to fully understand the topics that are the focus of this course. At the end of the semester, students should have developed a sound understanding of the law governing jurisdiction and judgments, including policy considerations that may shape further development of the law.

An introductory survey course about general jurisprudence and the rule of law, which asks questions like, "What is law? What distinguishes legal institutions from other ones? What, if anything, makes a legal claim true? And what does it mean to be governed by the rule of law?" Readings will include HLA Hart, Lon Fuller, and Ronald Dworkin.

This course introduces you how to use economic reasoning to analyze legal issues. The course will focus on the common law areas of property, contracts, and tort as well as the legal process and criminal law. Economic analysis of law analyzes legal rules with one main question in mind: how will people and firms respond to a given legal rule? That is, rather than look at the inherent "fairness" or "justness" of a legal rule, law and economics focuses on the incentives that a legal rule creates. The normative aspect of law and economics then asks how legal rules should be structured to create the most desirable incentives.

Explore intermediaries in the capital markets. Examine institutional workings of the securities business and its legal regulation including recent developments and interesting economic problems.

A survey of a range of core legal practice areas, including copyright, trademark, insurance, employment, immigration, contracts (with artists, sponsors, vendors and others), and working with municipalities using the backdrop of a live festival event. Expect guest lecturers from within the industry.

This course uses law-practice simulation to teach students legal analysis and communication skills. The course covers legal research, predictive written analysis, oral presentation of research results, effective communication with different audience members, and writing mechanics.

This course uses law-practice simulation to teach students legal analysis and communication skills. The course covers legal research, predictive written analysis, oral presentation of research results, effective communication with different audience members, and writing mechanics.

This course uses law-practice simulation to teach students legal analysis and communication skills. The course covers legal research, predictive written analysis, oral presentation of research results, effective communication with different audience members, and writing mechanics.

This course uses law-practice simulation to teach students legal analysis and communication skills. The course covers legal research, predictive written analysis, oral presentation of research results, effective communication with different audience members, and writing mechanics.

This course uses law-practice simulation to teach students legal analysis and communication skills. The course covers legal research, predictive written analysis, oral presentation of research results, effective communication with different audience members, and writing mechanics.

This course uses law-practice simulation to teach students legal analysis and communication skills. The course covers legal research, predictive written analysis, oral presentation of research results, effective communication with different audience members, and writing mechanics.

This course uses law-practice simulation to teach students legal analysis and communication skills. The course covers legal research, predictive written analysis, oral presentation of research results, effective communication with different audience members, and writing mechanics.

This course uses law-practice simulation to teach students legal analysis and communication skills. The course covers legal research, predictive written analysis, oral presentation of research results, effective communication with different audience members, and writing mechanics.

This course uses law-practice simulation to teach students legal analysis and communication skills. The course covers legal research, predictive written analysis, oral presentation of research results, effective communication with different audience members, and writing mechanics.

This course uses law-practice simulation to teach students legal analysis and communication skills. The course covers legal research, predictive written analysis, oral presentation of research results, effective communication with different audience members, and writing mechanics.

This course uses law-practice simulation to teach students legal analysis and communication skills. The course covers legal research, predictive written analysis, oral presentation of research results, effective communication with different audience members, and writing mechanics.

This course uses law-practice simulation to teach students legal analysis and communication skills. The course covers legal research, predictive written analysis, oral presentation of research results, effective communication with different audience members, and writing mechanics.

This course uses law-practice simulation to teach students legal analysis and communication skills. The course covers legal research, predictive written analysis, oral presentation of research results, effective communication with different audience members, and writing mechanics.

This course uses law-practice simulation to teach students legal analysis and communication skills. The course covers legal research, predictive written analysis, oral presentation of research results, effective communication with different audience members, and writing mechanics.

This course uses law-practice simulation to teach students legal analysis and communication skills. The course covers legal research, predictive written analysis, oral presentation of research results, effective communication with different audience members, and writing mechanics.

This course uses law-practice simulation to teach students legal analysis and communication skills. The course covers legal research, predictive written analysis, oral presentation of research results, effective communication with different audience members, and writing mechanics.

This course uses law-practice simulation to teach students legal analysis and communication skills. The course covers legal research, predictive written analysis, oral presentation of research results, effective communication with different audience members, and writing mechanics.