Courses | Columbia Law School

Section Description Provided by Instructor

Two (2) of the four (4) credits count against the 18 non-course credits allowed for the JD degree. Grading is Credit/Fail.

Method of Evaluation: Paper/s, class attendance/participation, and preparedness for in-class practical exercises.

The Federal Prosecution Externship offers students the opportunity to work one-on-one with experienced Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Eastern District of New York as they investigate and prosecute violations of federal criminal law. Each student will be assigned to work directly with an experienced Assistant U.S. Attorney in one of the Office's five senior prosecutorial sections: the Business and Securities Fraud Section, Narcotics Section, Organized Crime and Gangs Section, Public Integrity Section, and National Security and Cybercrime Section. Students will be expected to work 12-15 hours per work for 14 weeks (one semester) at the U.S. Attorney's Office in downtown Brooklyn. Students will have the opportunity to take part in all aspects of their supervising AUSA's criminal caseload - from investigation to sentencing and post-conviction appeal - and should also expect to do substantial research and writing. Under the local rules of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, law students will be permitted to conduct court appearances, such as arraignments, guilty plea proceedings, sentencings, hearings, and trials.

A weekly seminar will examine the role of Assistant U.S. Attorneys in each phase of the federal criminal justice system, including investigations, arrests, arraignments, pretrial suppression hearings, plea negotiations, and sentencing. In addition, students will participate in practicums that build upon their experiences working on actual federal criminal matters, including a mock arraignment and moot oral argument on a suppression motion.

To apply, please send an email to taryn.merkl@usdoj.gov and David.Bitkower@usdoj.gov, describing why you are interested in taking the externship and including a resume, transcript and brief writing sample. Please note that enrollment is limited to 10-12 students, and conditioned on a screening interview and successful security clearance. Due to the security clearance requirement, enrollment is limited to United States citizens, and students offered placement into the program may be required to accept on an expedited basis that is earlier than the the normal externship deadlines. Please note that students who enroll in the externship will not be permitted to withdraw from it, and that complete class attendance is mandatory and expected.