In addition to giving law students an unparalleled view inside the judicial process, judicial externships also give students real life experience in analyzing and writing about real legal issues.  Most judicial externs write several documents during their externships, including legal and factual memoranda, draft opinions, and orders. 

Judicial externs have many opportunities to observe lawyers at work and to observe different lawyers’ written and oral advocacy styles.  They may sit in on settlement conferences, observe trials and motion hearings, and interact with witnesses, litigants, and lawyers.  Few law school experiences provide so many benefits directly related to the professional development of a prospective lawyer. 

For students who may be interested in a judicial clerkship after law school, a judicial externship gives a taste of what a clerkship would be like, helping students to prepare for and decide whether to pursue that goal.  A judicial externship is a strong addition to any student's resume, even for those who decide not to pursue a clerkship.

Judicial clerkships are available at several courts, including the following:

• Ohio Supreme Court
• Ohio Court of Appeals
• Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas
• Federal courts in the Southern District of Ohio (Cincinnati) and the Eastern District of Kentucky (Covington)
• Federal magistrates and administrative law judges