Students intern with an approved court and work with a faculty instructor long-distance. Students attend a mandatory orientation session on campus late in the spring semester and submit short essays and other assignments during their internships; a classroom course is not offered. Students work at least 165 hours in the internship placement and receive 3 credits (graded pass/fail). Students may begin internships in May after completing final exams; internship hours must be completed by the end of the summer session. Students intern part-time while attending summer school or intern on a full-time basis for all or part of the summer. Many students split the summer between a judicial internship and another legal position. Students are encouraged to intern during the first half of the summer when courts are generally more active. Students who are considering interning during the second half of the summer who plan to participate in On-Campus Interviews (OCI) in Austin in mid-August, should consult the OCI schedule before committing to an internship schedule. Students are strongly encouraged to intern over a minimum of at least six weeks in order to maximize their learning opportunities in the field, but a five-week internship will be approved on an individual basis if necessary and if the court agrees.
A student who wishes to enroll in the Judicial Internship Program must first apply for and obtain an internship with a judge who agrees to participate in the program. See Students – Finding a Placement. Students may intern with one of the participating courts in Austin or state appellate courts and federal courts outside of Austin, subject to the program director Mary Crouter’s approval. All students apply for permission to register for the program using the online application. Before the student is permitted to register, Mary Crouter will contact the court, and the supervising attorney, student, and instructor will sign a written understanding. Students who start their internships before the beginning of the summer session must first apply for and obtain approval to register, attend the orientation, and begin work on the course requirements. Applications for approval to register from students who have already begun their internships will be denied.
This program is available to students who have completed the first two semesters of law school. Students must register for the program and pay tuition. Because the program is offered for 3 credits only, students who will not register for other law school summer courses should check with the Financial Aid Office about the availability of financial aid.
A student may take a judicial internship for academic credit only once. Students who are interning for academic credit may not receive compensation. Students generally may not receive academic credit for interning with state trial courts.
Einhorn, Elana S.