Internship: Federal Public Defender

• Semester: Fall 2026
• Course ID: 297P
• Credit Hours: 2
• Unique: 31905

Registration Status: Full

Meeting information not available

Special Instructions

Description

This course is restricted to upper class students only. Federal Public Defender 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/application-information/federal-public-defender-internship/.

To apply, please e-mail a copy of your cover letter, resume and transcript (unofficial is fine) to Prof. Klein at sklein@law.utexas.edu and Supervisory Assistant Federal Public Defender Aldredge at horatio_aldredge@fd.org. Students interested in the internship can obtain additional information from Prof. Susan Klein, by visiting her office, TNH 3.207, during her office hours on Wednesdays from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. Students may also call her at (512) 203-2257, or send her an email. Students may call Prof. Aldredge at (512) 916-5025, or send him an e-mail.

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

Course Description:

This internship program offers “for-credit” internship positions with the Austin Federal Public Defender’s Office. Students will assist in the defense of federal criminal cases under the supervision of Supervisory Assistant Federal Public Defender Horatio R. Aldredge, 504 Lavaca St., Suite 960, Austin, TX 78701-2860. While the internship requires a 10 hour per week commitment, not all those hours must be completed at the Fed. Public Defender’s office - many can be done at school or at home. Students should expect to spend one day per week at the office or in federal court. 

Students earn 2 credits (pass/fail) for the fall semester and, if they enroll in the spring, they earn an additional 2 credits (pass/fail) for the spring semester. Students can commit to a full academic year of internship study, or to a single semester. This internship program is not available during either summer session.

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, but these courses are not required.

The application deadline for the Fall 2026 semester is Monday, April 13th, 2026. Interviews are conducted at the Career Services Office or via Zoom. Though students will know whether they are admitted before fall registration, the unique registration number may not be available at that time. The application deadline for the Spring 2027 semester is Monday, October 19, 2026. Students will know whether they are accepted before early registration.

Additional Information

Information on the Federal Public Defender Office is available at: http://txw.fd.org/austin.