Externships in Criminal Law

The Criminal externships provide a rigorous course of study created to provide students with an interest in the practice of
criminal law with a thorough and practical understanding of criminal law and criminal trial practice. The Externship course
has two components. The student is placed in either a prosecutor or public defender’s office and handles, with supervision,
all phases of criminal misdemeanor cases including witness interviews, discovery, arraignments, plea bargaining, jury and
bench trials, and appellate work. In the Prosecution Clinic, students represent state in criminal matters under the direct
supervision of a local municipal prosecutor. In the Public Defender Clinic, students represent criminal defendant under the
direct supervision of a public defender. Students have the oppotunity to counsel clients, appear in court, and advocate for
their clients. Students will gain an understanding of issues including the limitations on the decision to prosecute, pretrial
release and bail, discovery, preliminary hearings, grand juries, plea bargaining, the right to speedy trial, and jury selection.
Upon completion of this challenging Externship, the student has all the skills and knowledge necessary to begin practice in the
most rigorous of legal offices.