The College of Law may offer its judicial externship program during the spring semester of 2016. Whether the course will be offered will depend upon interest and available externship placements. The goal of the judicial externship program is to enhance traditional classroom learning by introducing students to the courtroom experience from the perspective of the state court judge. In addition to learning from court observations, the students will assist the judge in researching and drafting memoranda, opinions, and orders.
Between two and six students may be selected to participate in the four-hour judicial externship for the spring semester. The students will be assigned to work with the Criminal, Circuit, and Chancery Courts in Knox County, Tennessee, and possibly, with other courts including the Tennessee appellate courts and the Tennessee Claims Commission. Assignments to extern with particular judges are made exclusively by the program director; neither the student externs nor the judge may dictate an externship assignment. Preference may be given to students whose interests match the needs of the program.
In order to participate in the program, students must be either in the second semester of their second year or in their third year of law study. Preference will be given to third-year students. For the criminal court externships, a strong preference is given in favor of students who have taken criminal procedure.
Students interested must submit a statement of interest and a current resume to Professor Penny White at pwhite4@utk.edu, no later than Friday, October 30, at 5:00 pm. For more information and the statement of interest form, click here.