Judicial Intern Academy
The Judicial Intern Academy provides summer internships to rising 2L students who, for personal or financial considerations, are unable to devote their summer to a full-time, 40-hour per week judicial internship. The Academy requires a commitment of 20 hours per week for 8 weeks in June and July. Students are given a weekly schedule that includes remote programming and in-person observations in federal and state court.
Components
- Pairing with a former federal judicial law clerk
- Intern ethics and federal court orientation session
- Naturalization ceremony attendance
- Courtroom observation in state and federal court
- Learning from state and federal judges through Conversations with the Court series
- Meeting lawyers through Learning from the Legends series
- In-court advocacy/development of writing sample
Law Clerk Advisors
Each intern is paired with a former federal judicial law clerk who serves as an advisor throughout the summer. Law Clerk Advisors (LCAs) volunteer their time and expertise and teach students to develop and refine their oral advocacy, research, analytical, and writing skills. The LCAs serve as a resource to the intern, similar to the experience given to other full-time judicial interns who work with a federal judicial law clerk in chambers.
The interns receive a case-specific writing and oral advocacy assignment and are expected to research and draft a bench memorandum and then present argument at a mock hearing. The intern meets with the assigned LCA at least once a week to discuss the assignment, review research, and provide guidance on the proper legal analysis and writing, with the goal of each intern producing a writing sample for future use.
Application Process
Following an informational session, applications for the Judicial Intern Academy will be sent through the law school’s career development office. The application includes a resume, writing sample, law school transcript, and cover letter. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2023.
For more information, please contact U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom at 305-523-5870 or Beth_Bloom@flsd.uscourts.gov.