The First Court accepts applications from second-and third-year law students for unpaid judicial internship positions. Student interns are welcome at the Court in the spring, summer (two sessions), fall, and winter sessions.
The First Court's intern program provides an opportunity to improve research and writing skills, while also providing a behind-the-scenes view of how an intermediate court of appeals works. Interns research factual and legal issues, review appellate records, perform substantive citation checks, write memoranda of law, discuss those memoranda with the judges and the Court's attorneys, observe the judges' discussions of issues in cases that are submitted, observe oral argument, and observe postsubmission resolution of legal issues raised in oral argument.
Students are selected to participate in the First Court's program with or without obtaining law-school credit. Noncredit interns must commit to a minimum of 16 hours per week for at least six weeks (except during the winter session, which may last fewer than six weeks). Work time for all interns is flexible. Students accepted into the program will be required to attend an orientation before the start of each session.
Any legal work, paid or unpaid, that an intern wishes to perform during the internship for anyone other than the Court is subject to a conflicts check and must be approved by the Court. Interns must be able to do their own word processing. Applications are accepted at any time, but ideally should be submitted by the end of November for the spring session, the end of March for the summer sessions, the end of July for the fall session, and the end of October for the winter session. As completed applications are received, they are considered for selection. Applications submitted for one session may be considered for a future session at the student's request.
To apply, please submit (1) a resume, (2) an unofficial law-school transcript, (3) a writing sample, and (4) a cover letter with any other information that you would like considered. Please e-mail the completed package with all attachments in pdf format to interns@txcourts.gov. The risk of computer contamination prevents us from accepting attachments in any other format. If you prefer, the completed package may be mailed to Justice Jane Bland, First Court of Appeals, 301 Fannin, Houston, Texas, 77002-2066. If you have any questions, please call either Justice Bland or the Court's intern program coordinator, Susan Fickert, at (713) 274-2700.
Updated: 26-Oct-2011
