JUDICIAL EXTERNSHIP (EXTN9161)
2 credits
Prerequisites: All students must have a minimum 2.6 grade point average at the time they register for the program. Part-time day and evening students, however, who have completed less than 25 credits at the time of their application, must have a minimum 2.8 grade point average in order to enroll in the externship program. Judicial externs work with a judge and the judge’s law clerks on a host of research projects, write memoranda, draft opinions and observe the daily proceedings brought before the court.

Eligible Judges:

Under current faculty guidelines, students may serve their externship with:

1. Any U.S. District Court Judge.
2. Any U.S. Court of Appeals Judge.
3. Any U.S. Bankruptcy Judge.
4. Any U.S. Magistrate Judge.
5. Any Judge of a state’s highest or appellate court.
6. Any New Jersey Superior Court Judge assigned to the Appellate Division, the Law Division, Civil or Criminal Part, or the Chancery Division, General Equity or Family Part.

Externships for academic credit have not been approved with:

1. New Jersey Superior Court Judges who are assigned to the Superior Court, Law Division, Special Civil Part.
2. Trial level Judges in states other than New Jersey, unless approved by the Faculty Director.
3. U.S. or State Administrative Law Judges

Course Requirements:
During the semester in which a student registers for the judicial externship program, the student must devote a minimum of 150 hours to chambers-related duties. In addition, students must complete a minimum of 30 pages of written work product involving legal research during their externship. A mandatory class conducted by the Faculty Director, Professor Denis McLaughlin, is held at the beginning of the semester and an evaluative conference is held with the Director at the end of the semester. At the evaluative conference, the student must produce a letter from the judge verifying completion of the course requirements to the judge's satisfaction, the student's 30 pages of work product, a signed time sheet, and a completed course evaluation form. Upon satisfactory completion of the evaluative conference, a grade of pass and two credits are awarded. A student may serve a maximum of two judicial externships for credit. The second externship must be with a different judge.

For additional information on the Judicial Externship Program and its requirements, please click here.
 

The course is graded on a Pass/D or Fail basis.

NOTE: Four credit maximum for all externships.