Judicial Internships: Seeing things from the bench

Holly Hinte ’11 interned in Cambridge, MA, with the Honorable Peter C. DiGangi ’73, first justice of the Middlesex Probate and Family Court. “Justice DiGangi really stressed observation,” Hinte says, “and he would say things like, ‘Did you understand what you saw?’ and ‘Did you hear the language that was used there? That’s what you need to use in an opening statement.’”

Learn more about how students and judges benefit from New England Law | Boston’s judicial internship opportunities, and about program coordinator Professor Charles Sorenson.

Internship Programs for New England Law Students

New England Law | Boston offers two distinct judicial internship opportunities that students can take advantage of while still in law school. Many of our students come to their postgraduate clerkships having already served with a judge, and they know what judges expect and are prepared from day one. In addition, judges seeking clerks can get references for our students directly from other judges or government officials who have supervised their law school internships.

Honors Judicial Internship Program

Semester-long law internships awarded to academically qualified students
Placement with federal and state judges in several states
Work at court 10 to 20 hours a week
Attend seminars; complete legal research/writing projects for academic credit

Summer Legal Internship Program

Full-time summer internships for law students awarded through a competitive process
Law school summer internships feature placement with federal and state judges at all court levels
Interns in last year of law school
Candidates typically have experience on a scholarly journal

Postgraduate Judicial Internships

Recent graduates have worked as judicial clerks in the following jurisdictions:

United States District Court, District of Connecticut
United States District Court, District of Georgia
United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Massachusetts
United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Rhode Island
Supreme Judicial Court of Maine
Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts
Supreme Court of New York, Appellate Division
Appeals Court of Connecticut
Appeals Court of Massachusetts
Appeals Court of South Carolina
Superior Court of Alaska
Superior Court of Connecticut
Superior Court of Maine
Superior Court of Massachusetts
Superior Court of New Hampshire
Superior Court of New Jersey
Superior Court of Pennsylvania
Superior Court of Washington
Massachusetts Land Court
Massachusetts Family and Probate Court
Massachusetts Juvenile Court
Boston Municipal Court
District Court of Maryland
District Court of Massachusetts
Circuit Court of Maryland
County Court New Jersey

For more information, contact:

Charles W. Sorenson Jr.
Professor of Law and Chair, Judicial Clerkships Committee
csorenson@nesl.edu
617-422-7267