Judicial Internship

Interns receive three (3) units of credit for the course and are required to:

1. Attend the courts and observe proceedings in criminal, civil, and family court for at least 123 hours over the course of the semester.  Interns must schedule their academic/work activities to allow 10 to 12 hours to be spent weekly in court plus sufficient travel time to the courthouse. Your specific schedule is flexible around your other classes, with the caveat that you must attend court during the hours the courthouse is open and courts are in session.  The normal business hours of the courthouse are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., so interns generally attend court between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to noon and/or 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., with lunch breaks for staff and jurors generally taking place between noon and 1:30 p.m.
    
2. Spend 12 hours (as a group) with the Judicial Internship Coordinator/Professor during the semester to insure that the educational experience of the internship is maximized;
    
3. Submit a detailed log every three to four weeks of the court activities observed and your analysis of the cases. These logs help us to determine if you are receiving a broad range of useful, informative experiences;
    
4. Write a final paper that requires you to reflect on your internship experience; and
    
5. Demonstrate appreciation and respect for the generous amount of time being given by the judge(s) who assists in your learning by communicating with your assigned judge and his/her clerk about your schedule for attending court and any personal issues that may prevent your courtroom attendance. 

The Program selects interns from a well qualified applicant pool that includes students from any major offered on the CSUN campus. Interns bring a wide range of backgrounds, talents, and experiences to the Program. Competition is keen. Only juniors and seniors are eligible to apply. In general, interns should possess the following qualities:
 

1. Good intellectual development is important, including the ability to think clearly, write coherently, and speak articulately. A GPA of approximately 3.0 is required. Some basic knowledge of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights is useful;
    
2. Good judgment, maturity, discretion, self-sustaining motivation and initiative, and the willingness to follow the rules of the court;
    
3. Ability to work closely with others, including fellow interns and the judges and their staffs.

Students wishing to apply to the Judicial Internship Program should email Dr. Leigh Bradberry at the following email address: leigh.bradberry@csun.edu.

Dr. Bradberry will then send you detailed instructions on how to apply, and include any attached forms that you will need to fill out.  However, so that you can plan ahead before contacting her, your application will include:

1.  A completed application form (which will be sent to you by Dr. Bradberry in her email);
    
2.  An electronic copy of your transcript(s) of all college work, including those from other institutions (DO NOT USE THE DPR REPORT);
    
3.  A narrative of at least two, but not more than three pages (double-spaced), clearly setting forth your reasons for seeking the internship, what you consider to be your major strengths and qualifications for the Program, and what benefits you feel are likely to result from your participation; and
    
4.  A completed Recommendation Form from a CSUN professor (Dr. Bradberry will send you this form as well).
    

Dr. Bradberry’s email will make clear the deadline by which you will need to submit all parts of the application to her.

The following may be approximate deadlines.  Please consult the most recent flyer advertising the Judicial Internship Application for the precise deadline in that semester. Otherwise, contact the political science department for the exact deadline. Flyers are generally posted on the bulletin board outside of the Political Science Department office in mid-March and in mid-October, respectively.   

• Applications for the Fall Term are generally due in mid April
   
• Applications for the Spring Term are generally due in mid November

Application materials must be submitted to Dr. Leigh Bradberry at leigh.bradberry@csun.edu

Cross Examine the Judges

The Political Science Department sponsors an annual event in which judges from the Los Angeles Superior Court speak about the court system, their jobs, and answer numerous questions from attendees ranging from the personal such as “how one become a judge” to the more complex, such as “how the court system is funded.” 

On Judges’ Night held on Wednesday, April 13th 2011, Judge Barbara Scheper organized the bench officers for the event and introduced those participating including: Judge Michael Convey, Judge Bert Glennon, Judge Martin Herscovitz, Judge Michael Jesic, Judge Wendy Kohn, Judge Louis Meisinger, and Commissioner Jeffrey Harkavy.  San Fernando Valley Bar Association President Seymour Amster delivered brief remarks and CSUN Professor Lawrence Becker moderated the program. 

The participating bench officers hear cases in the Chatsworth, San Fernando, Santa Clarita, and Van Nuys courthouses and preside over criminal, civil, juvenile, traffic, and family law matters.