Each semester, the college places approximately 30 students as judicial externs to work in judges’ chambers. Participating judges come from various courts in Central Ohio, including the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio, the Ohio Supreme Court, the Ohio Court of Appeals for the Tenth Appellate District, the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, General, Domestic Relations and Juvenile Divisions, and the Franklin County Municipal Court. Judicial externships provide excellent educational opportunities, including observation of court proceedings and operations, interaction with distinguished judges, and engagement in supervised research and writing.
The Judicial Externship course consists of both fieldwork and coursework. Students typically spend an average of nine hours per week doing fieldwork under the supervision of a judge, staff attorney, or judicial law clerk. In addition to fieldwork, students will select from a menu of learning modules that include guided reflection on practical topics such as time management, organizational networking, intergenerational communication, professional identity formation, and cultural competency. The course component is graded Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.
Application and Placement Process
Students are selected and placed at sites on a competitive but broad basis. Students must attend an information session and review the Getting Started in Externships Guide prior to submitting an externship application. Students with specific questions about pursuing or obtaining a judicial externship should contact Externship Director Halle Hara or Assistant Director of Externships Jillian Boone.
For more information about the Judicial Externship Program, including a course overview, faculty bios, student and site resources, and a list of participating sites, visit https://u.osu.edu/moritzexternships/.