Florida District Court of Appeal Externship

1 - 4 CREDIT HOURS 

(variable credit enrollments available: 42.5 hours per credit)

Overseeing Professor:
Professor Brooke Bowman
[email protected]

Program Description:
Students are placed with the Florida District Court of Appeal for the Second District in Tampa (limited travel to Lakeland may be required). Students conduct research and draft memoranda and orders on behalf of the district judges and their staff. Students extern in court one day per week and do research and drafting a second day outside of court. This externship is especially valuable for anyone who is interested in doing appellate work upon graduation.

Students apply directly to the District Court of Appeal. The DCA application is available on their website.

Placement Locations:
• Second District Court of Appeal, Stetson University College of Law, Tampa Campus*
   (Limited/Rare travel to Lakeland may be required)

Program Requirements:
• 42.5 hours per credit
• Weekly journal entries
• 15 pages of written work product
• Attend some to all of the Individual Externship class sessions: Mondays, 4:55 p.m. - 5:55 p.m.

Eligibility Requirements:
• Successful completion of all first-year required courses;
• Be in good academic standing; 
• Pass background check; and
• No legal employment/volunteering during externship semester, unless approved by the court.

Application Requirements:
• Submit a completed application by the appropriate deadline (for more information, visit our Clinics and Externships page) and,
• Timely submit additional documentation as required for this program. (Students are notified by the overseeing professor of additional requirements after applying and being provisionally placed in the program.)

 *Student placement is determined by the Second District Court of Appeal. Application to this program signifies that the applicant is willing to accept placement in either Tampa or Lakeland; in general the placements are primarily in Tampa, but limited travel to Lakeland may be required. Students who are unwilling and/or unable to accept a position in either Tampa or Lakeland are prohibited from applying for this program.