Family Law Externship

1-4 Credit Hours

(variable credits available: each credit requires 42.5 hours)

Overseeing Professor:
Christine Cerniglia, Associate Professor of Law and Director of Clinical and Experiential Education
[email protected]

Program Description:
Working closely with their assigned supervisors, students perform a variety of family-law related work. Students perform research and writing tasks, monitor case loads, examine files, review documents, and observe courtroom and/or mediation sessions.

Placement Locations*:

Bay Area Legal Services (BALS) (Tampa and St. Petersburg)
Community Law Program (St. Petersburg)
Gulfcoast Legal Services (Bradenton and St. Petersburg)
Heart of Adoptions, Inc. (Tampa)

*Students' preferences for placement location are considered. However, assignments are made based on a number of factors and students may be assigned to any location listed above. If a student is unable to serve at a particular placement location, they must state their reasons in the cover letter attached to the application.

Please note: Placements with family law judges are made through the Florida Circuit Court (Trial) externship.

Program Requirements:

  • 42.5 hours per credit;
  • Weekly Externship seminar - Mondays, 4:55 p.m. - 5:55 p.m.;
  • 3-4 reflective papers through the semester;
  • additional requirements as determined by overseeing professor

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Successful completion of all first-year required courses;
  • Be in good academic standing;
  • Successful completion of Professional Responsibility (may be taken contemporaneously, at professor's discretion); and
  • Successful completion of Family Law (may be taken contemporaneously, at professor's discretion).

Application Requirements:

  • Submit a completed application by the appropriate deadline (for more information, see the clinics and externship website); 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.)