Course Details
Practicum: Judicial
This course will increase students' understanding of the federal judiciary through observation of courtroom proceedings, participation in judicial decision making, and academic examinations of issues facing the judiciary. Seminar topics may include opinion drafting, the Judicial Canon of Ethics and ethical considerations, sentencing, and judicial decision-making. In addition to the weekly seminar, students work at least 20 hours a week (a minimum of 180 total hours) in approved externships for federal and select state court judges. Students maintain reflective journals analyzing their field placement experiences and class topics and responding to questions about their externship. The class offers students opportunities to improve a variety of skills used by lawyers, including research, analysis, writing, listening, and presentation. Students secure their own externships with the assistance of the professor, and all placements must be approved by the professor. The externship must run concurrently with the course. All course materials will be provided on Canvas. Student grades are based on the reflective journal, class participation, a final group presentation, and successful completion of the externship. This course is a distance course. NOTE the following rules for distance courses: -You may not enroll in more than one distance course in any term, including the summer term. -You may earn no more than 12 credits in distance courses towards the JD degree. Registration Requirements: Students must get the faculty member's permission to enroll in the class once they have accepted an externship with a federal or state court judge. Some state court externships may not satisfy the course requirements, so students should consult with the professor before accepting a state court externship. Students may not receive any payment for the externship. Students may take the Judicial Practicum only once; students who have previously taken the Judicial Practicum may not enroll.
Catalog Number: CONPUB 647D
Additional Course Information:
Experiential Learning, Not a lottery course, Requires Practicum Placement, SYNCH
Course History
Summer 2024
Title: Practicum: Judicial
Faculty: Harden, SaMee
Section: 1
Credits: 4.0
Capacity: 25 Actual: 12