The Northern District of California is pleased to be one of the first chapters to establish the FBA Judicial Intern Academy (JIA). The JIA provides summer internships to rising 2L students who, for personal or financial considerations, cannot devote their summer to a full-time, 40-hour-per-week judicial internship. The Academy requires 20 hours per week for 8 weeks in June and July. Students have a weekly schedule that includes remote programming and in-person observations in federal and state courts.

Offered by several chapters nationwide, the JIA enables a collaborative (virtual) provision of speakers from many districts from Florida to Hawaii and the opportunity to meet Northern District Judges and federal practitioners.

Former federal judicial law clerks serve as advisors to the interns throughout the summer. Law Clerk Advisors (LCAs) volunteer their time and expertise to teach students to develop and refine their oral advocacy, research, analytical, and writing skills. The LCAs serve as a resource to the Intern, similar to the experience given to other full-time judicial interns who work with a federal judicial law clerk in chambers. The interns receive a case-specific writing assignment where they research and draft a bench memorandum.

Law students interested in the JIA program must be FBA Law Student Section members. Intern applications are available in February. For more information, contact our JIA Committee through Valerie Stewart at AdvocateStewart@aol.com.