REMINDER: The Summer Judicial Internship Diversity Project Application DEADLINE is JANUARY 3, 2020
FINAL REMINDER that this program’s APPLICATION PERIOD CLOSES on JANUARY 3, 2020.
JTB is hosting the 2020 Summer Judicial Internship Diversity (SJID) Project. The SJID Project offers law students a chance to work with federal court judges across the nation! The application is now open and we will continue accepting applications until January 3, 2020.
Just The Beginning – A Pipeline Organization is pleased to announce the ninth annual Summer Judicial Internship Diversity Project (“Project”). The Project’s goal is to provide underrepresented law students summer judicial internships in the chambers of federal and state appellate judges, federal district judges, and federal bankruptcy and magistrate judges. The Project is national in scope and seeks to place approximately 100 law students as judicial interns across the country.
Interns will have the opportunity to draft bench memoranda, judicial orders, and opinions on a variety of substantive matters, including motions to dismiss, motions for summary judgment, magistrate judge reports, and habeas corpus petitions. Applicants should possess strong research and writing skills and be prepared to handle the rigors of working in a court.
An initial screening of application documents will identify qualified candidates. Applicants who clear this round will be referred to one of the Project’s participating judges for an interview, after which each participating judge will make a final hiring decision. Applicants who are hired must commit to attending two mandatory training workshops prior to the beginning of the internship, via videoconference, and must be available to work full-time as an unpaid intern for a minimum of six weeks.
Summer Judicial Internship Diversity Project – Summer 2020
HOW TO APPLY: Click here to apply or visit our website, http://www.jtb.org. Paper applications will not be accepted. The application will ask applicants to submit the following materials.
(1) a cover letter explaining the applicant’s interest in diversity and participating in the Summer Judicial Internship Diversity Project; (2) a resume; (3) a law school transcript, official or unofficial (if first semester law school grades are unavailable at the time of the deadline, please upload an undergraduate transcript and send your law school grades to sjidproject@jtb.org as they become available); (4) a writing sample (no more than 10 pages in length); (5) a list of three references (no family members, please); and (6) a signed Memorandum of Understanding (see below, page 3). This document stipulates the requirements and expectations of the program.
At present, this is an unpaid internship. Applicants are encouraged to seek law school or non-profit funding. • Applicants are also strongly encouraged to apply to the ABA’s Judicial Intern Opportunity Program, which has been a source of funding for Project interns. Students who apply to both JIOP and JTB AND are placed with an existing JIOP judge in a JIOP program location, may participate in both programs and receive funding (a $2,000 award) from the JIOP program. All applicants may participate in the JTB interviewing webinar and students recommended for judicial review through JIOP may also participate in the writing seminar. For more information on JIOP, please visit their website or click here.
Applications will be received online until 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, January 03, 2020. Early applications are highly encouraged, as acceptance is on a rolling basis.
*Please address your cover letter to: Cristina Figueroa, Program Director 70 W. Madison St. Suite 2900, Chicago IL. 60602
General application questions can be directed to Missy Jeje, Program Manager, at mjeje@jtb.org.
Summer Judicial Internship Diversity Project – Summer 2020
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
Just The Beginning – A Pipeline Organization’s (“JTB”) Summer Judicial Internship Diversity Project is a program that strives to provide underrepresented and economically disadvantaged law students an opportunity to work inside a federal judge’s chambers as a judicial intern.
INTERN’S OBLIGATIONS
I, ___________________________, understand and agree to the following terms of participation for judicial interns during the Summer of 2020:
1. I agree to be available to work as an unpaid judicial intern for a minimum of six weeks, 40 hours per week. This minimum requirement ensures that I will receive all of the benefits of working in judicial chambers.
2. I understand that this is an unpaid judicial internship, and that I will seek law school or nonprofit funding if I need it. If I receive any financial stipend or compensation from any source for the judicial internship, I agree to promptly disclose this to the judge and to JTB.
3. I agree to make myself available for an interview in early February 2020.
4. I agree to attend the mandatory JTB Interview Seminar in the month of February 2020, via videoconference.
5. I agree to promptly respond to any judge’s inquiry and to make myself available to be interviewed by judges beginning February 2020.
6. If I am selected as a judicial intern, I agree to attend the JTB Legal Writing and Research Workshop in April 2020 via videoconference. I agree to complete and submit a legal writing assignment that I will receive approximately two weeks prior to the workshop. I understand the screening committee will evaluate my writing and provide feedback.
7. I agree that I will uphold the standards of professionalism. This includes wearing business formal attire, unless otherwise instructed by the judge. I will conduct myself in a professional manner, which includes addressing the judge, law clerks, chambers staff, court staff, and court users courteously and reporting for work on time, every day.
8. I agree that all my work must be carefully edited and in at least its third draft before submission to the judge or law clerk. I will ensure that all of my work is done to the best of my ability, even if this includes working through the weekend or beyond my forty-hour commitment.
Summer Judicial Internship Diversity Project – Summer 2020
9. I agree to follow all school internship guidelines for credit hours or for any other benefit. If JTB is not currently on my school’s list of providers for academic credit, I will contact JTB immediately.
10. I affirm that I am currently enrolled in good standing in an American Bar Association- accredited law school.
11. I agree to report to both the judge all judicial internship hours worked and to maintain a record of all hours worked. I agree to provide the record of hours I worked upon JTB’s request.
12. I agree to submit to JTB evaluation reports when requested.
13. I agree to timely respond to JTB requests for information, including evaluations of my intern experience, my current or future employment status and contact information and I agree to submit a student information form with my application.
14. I acknowledge that any internship I obtain is solely for educational purposes. I understand that I will not be an employee of any court or JTB. I agree that if I undertake an internship it will be primarily for my own benefit and to further my knowledge, and without any expectation that I would receive an offer of employment after the internship is complete.
15. I agree to notify JTB in writing if I am hired as a post-graduate, full-time federal law clerk.
Printed Name _____________________________________
Signature _____________________________________
Mailing Address _____________________________________
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Email _____________________________________
Cell Phone Number (___)______________________________
