The Judicial Externship Program gives students an opportunity to work with trial and appellate judges and view the judicial process from the perspective of the decision maker. Placements include the Wisconsin Supreme Court; Wisconsin Court of Appeals; Dane County Circuit Courts; and the United States District Court in both Milwaukee and Madison. Students are able to observe the court system from the inside; learn about the work of judges and their law clerks; and evaluate the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of lawyers appearing before the courts. The actual work performed may vary from judge to judge but the emphasis is on research and writing.

The Judicial Externship Program takes approximately 25 students during each semester of the academic year and during the summer. It is open to all students who have achieved second year status; thus students are eligible to participate in the summer following their first year. Second- and third-year students have priority and are generally placed.

  

Requirements & Applying

For the fall and spring semester Judicial Externship Program, Students register for the Judicial Externship Program law school course, and receive credit for their work, but no pay.  Students typically sign up for between 3-5 credits, depending upon the needs of chambers. For summer, students only register for the Judicial Externship Program course if they pay for the credits they earn in their externship.  Most students do not sign up for the course over the summer session.

Each credit requires 45 hours of work during the course of the semester. Thus, a five-credit placement requires a total of 225 hours of work. Students keep track of the number of hours they work each week and submit it to the person designated by the court in which they work. Most students report that while they have core hours they work per week, their total working hours vary from week to week.

Students are required to attend three classes with the Judicial Externship Program Director and submit two reflection papers throughout the semester.

At the end of the semester the completed timesheet is signed by the designated person and turned into the Judicial Externship Program Director by the student and the appropriate number of credits is awarded. Also, at the end of the semester, the judge or supervising attorney submits an evaluation of the student's work and professionalism for the duration of their externship to the Judicial Externship Program Director.

The judges who participate are committed to seeing that the students have productive experiences and receive feedback on their work. Students typically find their placements to be demanding but very valuable.

Students interested in placements with the Supreme Court of Wisconsin or the U.S. District Court for the W.D. of Wisconsin should keep in mind that those Justices/judges, in order to avoid the potential for conflicts of interest, may only allow students to intern in their chambers if the students have no other legal employment or law school clinical obligations.

To apply for the program, students complete an application that opens on the date of the informational sessions that are held during fall and spring semesters. These informational sessions are announced in email messages to the student body and are also posted on the events page managed by the Office of Career and Professional Development.

   

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