Through the Public Interest and Government Externship Program, the College places approximately 40 students per semester in federal and state agencies and non-profit organizations. The College has established relationships with a host of federal and state agencies including public defenders’ offices, prosecutors’ offices, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the Ohio Ethics Commission, the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office, the Ohio Auditor’s Office, and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The College has also established relationships with several non-profit organizations engaged in meaningful legal work in areas such as criminal justice prosecution, defense, and reform; disability rights; benefit assistance; human trafficking; immigration; health insurance; and housing. Students are also permitted to pursue public interest and government externship placements on their own subject to program approval.
The Public Interest and Government Externship course consists of both fieldwork and coursework. Students typically spend an average of nine hours per week doing fieldwork under the supervision of an experienced attorney who will serve as their site supervisor throughout the semester. 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 public interest or government externship should contact Externship Director Halle Hara or Assistant Director of Externships Jillian Boone.
Additional Information
For more information about the Public Interest and Government Externship Program, including a course overview, faculty bios, student and site resources, and a list of participating sites, visit https://u.osu.edu/moritzexternships/.
CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations)
CASA of Franklin County
City of Lancaster, Law Director's Office
COHHIO
Columbus Bar Association Ethics Section
Columbus City Attorney
Columbus State Community College Legal Office
CRIS (Community Refugee and Immigration Services)
Delaware City Prosecutor's Office
Delaware County Prosecutor's Office
Disability Rights Ohio
Economic and Community Development Institute
Environmental Law and Policy Center
Federal Public Defender's Office-Habeas
Federal Public Defender's Office-Trials
Franklin County Prosecutor's Office -felony
Franklin County Public Defender--Common Pleas Division (felony)
Franklin County Public Defender--
Franklin County Public Defender - juvenile
Legal Aid Society of Columbus
Nationwide Children's Hospital
OCLC
Ohio Attorney General
Ohio Automobile Dealers Assoc. --AUTOCAP
Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation
Ohio Civil Service Employees Association
Ohio Crime Victim Justice Center
Ohio Department of Agriculture
Ohio Department of Education
Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Ohio Environmental Council
Ohio Farm Bureau Federation
Ohio Industrial Commission
Ohio Legal Assistance Fund
Ohio Public Defender Wrongful Conviction Project
Ohio Public Defender's Office--Wrongful Imprisonment Project
Ohio Public Defender Death Penalty
Ohio State Legal Services Association
The Ohio State University Office of Compliance & Integrity
Ohio Supreme Court - dispute resolution, master commissioners, public information
Student Legal Services at The Ohio State University
United States Attorney's Office
The Ohio State University Office of Legal Affairs, Wexner Medical Center Supply Chain