Judicial Externship Program

The Judicial Externship Program offers eligible students in the last three semesters of law school to receive academic credit for unpaid externships with local federal and state courts. Part-time students who maintain part-time status are eligible during their final four part-time semesters. All judicial externships for credit must be in the San Francisco Bay Area, which includes the counties of San Francisco, Marin, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara.

Full-time (12 units) externships are permitted in local federal courts (Ninth Circuit, Northern District, including the Bankruptcy Judges), the California Supreme Court, and the California Courts of Appeal.  Full-time externships are not permitted in California Superior Courts. 

Half-time (6 units) and part-time (3 or 4 units) externships are permitted in local federal courts (Ninth Circuit, Northern District, including the Bankruptcy Judges), the California Supreme Court, the California Courts of Appeal, and California Superior Courts.

Judicial externs are required to enroll concurrently in the Judicial Process course, submit evaluations and weekly timesheets, and complete other assignments as given by the Professor for the Externship Programs.

The Program offers two separate routes that may be pursued to obtain an externship.  Students may apply to be sponsored by the Law School (formally recommended to a particular judge by the Law School) or they may make an independent/non-sponsored application (without a formal recommendation from the Law School).  Different academic eligibility requirements and application procedures apply for each type of externship. 

In addition, minimum GPA and other academic policy requirements apply in order for your externship to be approved for academic credit. You must have completed Evidence before the externship begins.  Please review the Application Packet to determine your eligibility to participate.  A list of judges who have accepted USF law students as externs in the previous academic year is included.  

Judicial Externship Application Packet (PDF)

Judicial Externship Application Forms Only (PDF)
Judicial Externship Application Forms Only (Word)

Before completing these forms, please make sure that you have reviewed all of the Policies, Requirements and Procedures in the packet referenced above. 

Contact Information
Externship Programs Office
Kendrick Hall, Room 335
Phone: (415) 422-4467
Fax: (415) 422-4470
Email: externships@usfca.edu