Externships A to Z Your Guide to the Judicial and Public Interest Externship Programs
Externship Opportunities Judicial Externships (Placements with Judges) Public Interest Externships (Placements with Government Entities and Non-Profit Organizations) Students may not receive credit for externships with for-profit corporations or with law firms. Additionally, students may not receive credit for paid work, including work for which they receive PILF funding. Students may apply a total of 8 externship credits towards graduation. Students may do more than one externship in each program, if they choose. However, students may not earn externship credit for a second semester at the same placement (i.e., with the same judge, at the same court, or with the same public interest placement).
Judicial Externships - Basics Judicial Externships Perform unpaid work for a judge and his or her staff in chambers Participating judges include: United States Circuit, District, Bankruptcy, and Magistrate Judges; Ohio Supreme Court Justices; and Franklin County Domestic Relations and Juvenile Court Judges
Judicial Externships - Basics Offered summer, fall, and winter semesters Summer – May-June 2 credits Students work 8 hours per week for 7 weeks
Fall/Spring Semesters 3 Credits Students work 8 hours per week for 14 weeks
Limited to the number of judges willing to participate
JEP - Academic Component Graded “satisfactory”/ “unsatisfactory” Must attend mandatory one-hour class once per month (ABA requirement) Submit weekly journal entries discussing your experiences as an extern Write a 5-6 page reflective essay Submit a sample of work that you wrote for the Court during your externship
PI Externships - Basics Public Interest Externships Perform unpaid work for a governmental entity or non-profit organization that is approved as an externship placement by the law school. The law school has secured a number of placements with state and federal governmental agencies and Ohio-based nonprofit organizations. Students may also find their own placements, provided space in the program is available and the placement obtains approval from the law school. Students may work at out-of-state placements.
PI Externships - Basics Offered summer, fall, and winter semesters Summer 2 credits or 4 credits Students must work 50 hours per credit at the placement. The hours may be worked over the entire summer or during half of the summer.
Fall/Winter Semesters 3 Credits Students must work 50 hours per credit at the placement.
Limited to 40 students per semester (including summer).
PI Externships – Academic Component Graded “satisfactory”/ “unsatisfactory” Must attend a mandatory orientation session and mandatory one-hour classes once per month Submit weekly journal entries Write a 5-6 page reflective essay Submit a sample of work that you wrote during your externship
Summer Externships - Pros Students who take the 4-credit externship will qualify for financial aid for tuition and living expenses. Some governmental entities and non-profit agencies will not permit students to volunteer. Earning externship credits will enable rising 2Ls to lightload during the infamous “App Ad/OCI” semester. Students who take classes both summers totaling at least 10 credit hours and meet all graduation requirements may be able to graduate in December.
Summer Externships - Cons You must pay tuition to participate in the externship programs. This makes externing during the summer expensive: During the summer you “pay per credit” instead of paying the semester full-time “flat rate.” Summer 2013 tuition for externships was as follows: Two credits: In-state - $3,444.60 / Out-of-state - $5,313.60 Four credits: In-state - $6,961.20/ Out-of-state - $10,699.60
You can earn 88 credits easily without earning credits during the summer, so you are essentially paying for “unnecessary” credits.
You may be able to volunteer and get the same experience for free.
Special Considerations for Students Considering the Oxford Program You can complete a 2-credit judicial or public interest externship before you leave. This will enable you to receive your summer financial aid in May, as opposed to July. A word of caution: the amount of financial aid you receive will be exactly the same; you will just get it sooner.
If you meet all ABA and Moritz requirements, you can use your summer credits to graduate early, thereby defraying the cost of the externship and Oxford experiences.
Out-of-State Externships Students may obtain a public interest placement outside of the State of Ohio. Students who extern outside of Ohio will be required to write short papers in lieu of attending class. Students who extern in Ohio must attend the monthly externship class, even if the student is not externing in Central Ohio. Please be advised that non-resident students who extern outside of the State of Ohio during their 1L summer will not be eligible for in-state residency for their 2L and 3L years.
The Application Process Application materials may be found at http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/externships/ Complete an application and submit your resume and a 5-page writing sample with your application If you plan to find your own placement, you must ensure that your placement submits a placement application.
Please note: There is no guarantee that your placement will be approved.
Application deadlines are posted online at http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/externships/ Late/incomplete applications will be considered only after timely/complete applications have been considered.
The Application Process You can apply for both the judicial externship program and the public interest externship program, but you may only participate in one of the two programs per semester. Applicable to March applicants only: You may apply to participate in the externship programs for both semesters. However, if you have a preference for a particular program or semester, please state your preference(s) clearly.
The Application Process If we have more applicants than spots, we will give preference first to 3Ls graduating in December, then to 3Ls graduating in May, and then to 2Ls. We will also give preference to those placements that will not permit students to volunteer. When it is time to register for classes, register as if you will not receive an externship. If you are selected, we will register you for the externship, and you can drop a class if necessary.
Matching Students to Placements Students in both programs will be matched to placements by Student Services staff (except for students who have found their own placements). When matching students to placements, staff will consider student preferences, a student’s demonstrated interest in a relevant area of law, and the preferences of the placements. Students’ class rank and GPA will be neither irrelevant nor controlling.
Federal Bar Association Columbus Chapter Scholarship The Columbus Chapter of the FBA offers two $5,000 scholarships to judicial externs from OSU and Capital. The scholarship is awarded on the basis of academic merit, financial need, character, and diversity. To qualify, your judicial externship must take place during the fall or winter semesters. Applications are due to April Davis on Friday, March 28. Applications are available at: http://moritzlaw.osu.edu/externships/
Questions? Contact April Davis
[email protected] 614-688-2974
