Judicial Externship Program
Each year, the law school offers a number of externships with federal, state, and local courts (2 cr.) Application must be made to participate in these externships. Two course credits will be graded S/F, based upon satisfaction of externship requirements, which includes 120 hours of unpaid work, two individual meetings with the supervising professor, and three short class meetings. In addition to the list below, the Court Externship program has arranged internships with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, the Indiana Tax Court, and other county trial courts.
Contact Prof. Joel Schumm for more information: jmschumm@iupui.edu or (317) 278-4733.
Summer 2013 Judicial Externships
Whether spending the summer in Indianapolis or elsewhere in the state or country, students may earn law school credit for an approved Judicial Externship. Externships are available for two or three credits; each credit requires a minimum of sixty hours of unpaid work. Many students spend considerably more time in their placement.
Students should generally apply directly to judges with whom they wish to extern. List of federal court opportunities and application requirements is provided below.
» List of federal court opportunities and application requirements.
Students interested in Indiana state trial court placements may find a complete list of judges, by county, and a list of recent state trial court placements below:
Students interested in placements outside of Indiana are encouraged to find the judge’s contact information online or through directories in the Office of Professional Development.
Finally, most Indiana appellate judges do not host interns in the summer. Students interested in the very limited opportunities with the Indiana Supreme Court or Indiana Court of Appeals should email their resume to Professor Schumm no later than February 11.
Federal Court Externship
Students serve as law clerk interns in the chambers of one of the federal judges or magistrates in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana (Indianapolis). These externships generally require a great deal of research and writing with a limited opportunity to observe court proceedings.
Students placed in federal court must undergo a background check. Please review the following documents for further information:
- Placement Protocol
- Character and Fitness Guidelines
- Background Check Release
- Eligibility Documents
- Computer Security
- Social Networking Policy
State Appellate Court Externship
Students serve as law clerk interns for one of the judges of the State Court of Appeals. Externs work on draft opinions under the direction of the judge and judicial clerks.
State Supreme Court Externship
Students serve as law clerk interns for one of the justices of the State Supreme Court. Externs may work on draft opinions or other projects assigned by the justices and their staff.
Trial Court Externship
Students serve as law clerk interns for one of the judges of the Marion County Superior Court. These externships offer the greatest opportunity to observe court proceedings and usually include a lot of interaction with the judge. Students are generally assigned to two judges (one in the criminal division and one in the civil division).
