The Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship
The Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship gives you the opportunity to work in the Office of Counsel to the General Assembly, research novel and cutting-edge legal issues, and prepare moot court competitions. The following are just some of the many opportunities available for summer law internships. If you are interested in interning in this unique position, apply now! The deadline is March 15.
Work in the Office Counsel for the General Assembly
The Office of the General Attorney is responsible for overseeing the legal interests of the state’s various agencies, institutions, and people. The office employs fourteen attorneys who focus on areas ranging from tax issues to employment discrimination, to import and export laws, to intellectual property and environmental law. Interns perform case law research, prepare legal memoranda, and research legislative research history.
Draft memos to the State Board of Education
The Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship program pairs top inner city students with legal employers and provides additional programming to help students prepare for a career in the legal field. Interns work on drafting memos to the State Board of Education, researching and writing advice memos, and participating in litigation preparation. They also observe client meetings and counseling. While on the internship, students draft memos and research novel legal issues.
Criminal Division interns assist 17 Assistant Attorneys General with legal research. They are assigned cases involving constitutional criminal procedure, trial rights, and rules of evidence. Students will also be asked to identify case law to support a particular legal argument or summarize complex legal research. The internship will last for one term and involves weekly meetings, seminars, and a final written paper. Students will earn six pass/fail credits for completing the internship.
Research novel and cutting edge legal issues
In the Criminal Appeals Division, interns work closely with the Assistant Attorney General for their Division. They read circuit court transcripts, research the issues raised in an appellant’s brief, and draft the State’s response. During their internship, interns are required to complete a final appellate brief, which can be used as a writing sample for future employment. Students may complete a two-season internship to gain additional experience, including participation in the Court of Appeals term.
The Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship provides a diverse set of opportunities to students. Students may conduct legal research, draft legal documents, and attend court hearings. The internship will also provide students with experience in the Maryland Medicaid program, as well as the Medicaid referral process. While there is little direct litigation in this group, they will also be exposed to civil discovery procedures and federal grand jury proceedings.
A US Attorney’s office externship provides students with the opportunity to get involved with novel and cutting edge legal issues. Students may observe the day-to-day routine of a judge or discuss legal problems with the judge and his law clerk. These opportunities are highly valuable for increasing one’s marketability in the legal community. Applications will be available in October. For more information on externships, contact Professor Gross.
Prepare for a moot court competition
As part of your Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Internship, you may have the opportunity to participate in a Moot Court competition. Students in the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law participated in a mock criminal case with the Constitutional Rights Foundation (CRF). The competition involved hypothetical cases and role-playing between lawyers, witnesses, bailiffs, and the court clerks.
During the competition, students competed with their law school teams. BU Law students competed against students from Loyola University School of Law and University of Nebraska College of Law. They did exceptionally well, earning praise for their analysis and enthusiasm. Their team even won the Best Brief award, which accounts for 40 percent of the final score. Boston College entered the final round undefeated, representing the petitioner in both semi-final rounds and the final.
As a Thurgood Marshall Summer Law Intern, you may also participate in BLSA moot court or mock trial competitions. As a member of BLSA, you have the opportunity to represent W&L and network with law students, practitioners, and potential employers. Moreover, if you wish to compete at the national level, you can take advantage of the competition.
While the program is designed to help students from inner-city communities pursue a law career, it also offers additional programming to help them prepare for the legal field. For instance, you may choose to participate in a mock trial of an environmental case, where you must write an appellate brief, engage in oral arguments, and present your arguments before a panel of judges. You can even join a team that specializes in environmental law.