Volunteer/Internship - Law Student Externship

Position Information

JUDICIAL EXTERNSHIP for LAW STUDENTS DEADLINE TO APPLY

• Deadline to apply for this recruitment is Thursday, November 19, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PST.

This recruitment is open to external law student candidates. This recruitment will be used to fill current Judicial Externship opportunities for the Spring 2027 term.

Opportunity Details

About Orange County Superior Court The Orange County Superior Court was established in 1893 and maintains jurisdiction over a wide range of matters, with our flagship location being the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana, with additional courthouses located in Orange (Lamoreaux), Newport Beach (Harbor), Fullerton (North), and Westminster (West), as the fifth-largest trial court in the United States and the third-largest court of general jurisdiction in California. We have more than 140 judicial officers and over 1,500 staff with an operating budget of nearly $280 million.

Our court is recognized for innovation, resource advancements, and community focus while managing over half a million case filings annually and serving a population exceeding three million. The Court's Judges, Commissioners, and employees are recognized for their high standards of achievement, integrity, modernization, and diversity. The Court is committed to ensuring equal access to court services and enhancing public confidence in the court system.

To learn more about the Superior Court of California, County of Orange, visit our homepage at www.occourts.org.

About The Position Assignment as a student extern are geared towards highly motivated and self-reliant individuals who prefer the low-profile, behind-the-scenes role of the legal researcher in the adjudicatory process. The assignment is ideal for those who thrive on engaging in analytical reasoning through communication of the written word. Duties may include: drafting objective memoranda on civil, criminal, family law, and juvenile matters; performing legal research on a variety of civil, criminal, family law, and juvenile matters; reviewing and preparing tentative rulings for Law & Motion Calendars; and performs other duties as assigned.

Please note that in order to avoid any appearance of impropriety or favoritism during the externship, externs are prohibited from working for lawyers, law firms, district attorney's office, public defender's office, or county counsel unless otherwise authorized by the Chair of the Extern Committee or his or her designee in consultation with the extern’s mentor. During the externship, externs are also prohibited from engaging in other outside employment that would conflict with their duties as externs, pose a conflict of interest, or are incompatible with their role in the court.

Requirements Minimum Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in law school.
• Submit a completed online application including education field and contact information.
• Complete supplemental questions.
• Attach a cover letter
• Attach a resume
• Attach current school transcripts in PDF format. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable as long as the document shows your full name and the school's name.
• Attach a writing sample. Submit a writing sample that must be written and edited solely by the applicant and must be a minimum of five pages in length.

Additional Information

APPLICATION PROCESS All applicants are required to submit a completed online application, have the proper attachments, and answer the supplemental questionnaire and supplemental questionnaire. To learn more about how to create an application, click HERE.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS Orange County Superior Court provides reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities, upon request. Please contact the Human Resources Department at [email protected] if you feel that you will need a reasonable accommodation for any aspect of the selection process.

BACKGROUND CHECK A thorough background check will be conducted, including but not limited to work experience, education, certifications, driving record, criminal record, litigation, judgment or verdict, and financial/credit information. Fingerprints of candidates are also taken as part of our background check process.

STATUS NOTIFICATIONS You will be notified by email during the process of this recruitment through GovernmentJobs.com. Some email accounts have been known to place our emails in the spam/junk folder. Please check your email spam/junk folders and accept emails ending with GovernmentJobs.com and occourts.org. If your information changes, please update your profile at http://www.governmentjobs.com/.

QUESTIONS? If you have any questions about the application or system you may contact Human Resources at [email protected], or if you have questions about these program requirements or outside employment, please contact the extern coordinator at [email protected].

Orange County Superior Court is an Equal Opportunity Employer Follow us on social media! LinkedIn | Facebook | X These assignments are separate from Court employment and are non-benefited work.

01

Are you willing to work as an UNPAID extern?

• Yes
• No

02

What School Are You Currently Enrolled At

• Chapman
• Davis
• Hastings
• Loyola
• Pepperdine
• UCI
• UCLA
• USC
• Western State
• Whittier
• Other

03

If you answered Other in Question two (2) above, please provide the school’s name.

04

Why do you want to extern for the Superior Court of California, County of Orange, and what do you hope to gain from this program?

05

This recruitment will be used to fill opportunities for the Spring 2027 Judicial Externship for Law Students. Please confirm your understanding.

• Yes, I am interested in the Spring 2027 Externship.
• No, I am not interested in the Spring 2027 Externship.

06

What is your preferred location?

• Santa Ana
• Orange
• Fullerton
• Westminster
• Newport Beach
• Costa Mesa

07

Select your preferred panel (a match will be made if possible).

• General Civil
• Limited Civil
• Criminal
• Family Law
• Juvenile
• Probate Panel (Probate, Mental Health, Elder Abuse)

08

List your anticipated availability in the following format: Monday from _____am to _____pm, Tuesday from _____am to _____pm etc.

09

Guidelines and Provision: If accepted into the Extern Program, I understand that I will not be reimbursed for any unauthorized mileage or out-of-pocket expenses. As an extern, I am not an employee of the Court; I understand that I am not covered by the Court's Memorandum of Understanding. I understand that State law requires that I must possess valid automobile/liability insurance and agree to have such coverage if I am involved in using my own vehicle for Court business. It is also my understanding that a criminal record check is conducted on all interns/externs, and the results of such check is used for the sole purpose of evaluating the suitability to access Court files and confidential information.

• Yes
• No

10

I understand that the Court and its officers, employees and agents shall not be held liable for any death, injury or property damage claims arising from intern/extern work. I also understand that if any claim arises out of the foregoing, the intern/extern shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Orange County Superior Court and its judges, commissioners, employees, and agents from the same.

• Yes
• No

11

Do you understand that in order to avoid any appearance of impropriety or favoritism during the externship, externs are prohibited from working for lawyers, law firms, the district attorney's office, public defender's office, or county counsel unless otherwise authorized by the Chair of the Extern Committee or his or her designee in consultation with the extern's mentor. During the externship, externs are also prohibited from engaging in other outside employment that would conflict with their duties as externs, pose a conflict of interest, or are incompatible with their role in the court.

• Yes
• No

12

Have you been pre-approved by the Court for an extern assignment? If yes, please indicate the judicial officer's name and department.

• Required Question