PROGRAMS

Judicial Resources Committee of the United States Judicial Conference and Just the Beginning – A Pipeline Organization

 

Summer Judicial Internship Diversity Project

The Judicial Resources Committee of the United States Judicial Conference and Just the Beginning – A Pipeline Organization is pleased to announce the annual Summer Judicial Internship Diversity Project (“Project”). The Project’s goal is to provide highly qualified law students from socioeconomic, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds underrepresented in the legal profession with 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 interviewed via telephone by attorneys for a second-round of evaluation. The final round consists of being referred to a judge who will conduct their own interview, either in person or virtually. Each participating judge will make a final hiring decision. Applicants who are hired must commit to two mandatory training workshops and complete a legal writing assignment for the purpose of helping to prepare them for the internship. Candidates must be available to work full-time as an unpaid intern for a minimum of eight weeks.

The application requires document uploads of the following materials:

  • cover letter explaining your interest in participating in the Summer Judicial Internship Diversity Project and the importance of diversity in the legal profession
  • resume
  • law school transcript, official or unofficial (if first semester law school grades are unavailable or incomplete, please submit an undergraduate transcript here and email a copy of the law school grades as they become available to [email protected].
  • writing sample (no more than 10 pages)
  • list of three references
  • signed Memorandum of Understanding, available on page 3 of the announcement.

For program inquiries, please contact [email protected].

JUDGES NEEDED!

 

JTB invites you to participate in the Summer Judicial Internship Diversity (“SJID”) Project by hosting a law student as a summer intern in your chambers in the summer of 2025. The Project is a partnership between the Judicial Conference’s Committee on Judicial Resources (“JRC”) and Just the Beginning—A Pipeline Organization (“JTB”), which is an organization that encourages underrepresented students to pursue career and leadership opportunities in the law.

Participating judges who successfully hire through the Project agree to give judicial interns substantive writing assignments, including draft bench or office memoranda, orders, or opinions, at least one of which may be used as a writing sample for future employment opportunities.Interaction between the intern and the participating judge, the judge’s law clerks, and the judge’s staff is strongly encouraged. The hope is that a mentor-mentee relationship will result from the experience.

For more information, view the full announcement here: Judge Announcement

Register Today: Judge Registration