Litigation Skills Externship Program

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About the Externship Program

Miami Law's unique Litigation Skills Externship Program provides students with the opportunity to apply the trial and pre-trial skills learned during the semester in a live client setting. Students may represent clients in criminal and civil matters and argue cases in Circuit, County and Federal courts under the supervision of practicing attorneys.

Prerequisites

Successful completion of Litigation Skills I is a prerequisite for the Externship. Students will also become certified by the Supreme Court of Florida as Certified Legal Interns.

Enrolling in the Externship Program

Students elect to participate in the externship program one semester in advance when they register for Litigation Skills I. All externships are worth 6-credits and require a commitment of 220 hours of service. Students also attend a weekly Clinical Placement and Theory Seminar providing training in advanced skills and professional responsibility. While externships are available during the semester after Litigation Skills I, many students choose to do a summer placement.

Expert Externship Advising

Professor Jennifer Zawid has extensive civil trial experience as a former senior trial attorney with the United States Department of Justice, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and, most recently, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. She also served as a law clerk to two federal magistrates at different points in her career. Currently, she directs and teaches the Litigation Skills Clinical Externship Program. She is also a well known civil and family mediator and speaks domestically and internationally on issues related to international child abduction, alternative dispute resolution, therapeutic jurisprudence, externship pedagogy, and collaborative divorce. She has taught numerous advanced mediation courses.

Professor Sarah Mourer has extensive trial experience as a former criminal defense attorney. She directs and teaches both the Externship Program and Clinical Placement Program. She is a lecturer for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and coaches Miami Law's Mock Trial Team. Professor Mourer is a frequent speaker on trial advocacy, clinical teaching, the Fourth Amendment and wrongful convictions. She also teaches Substantive Criminal Law and directs the Wrongful Convictions Project. Recently, Professor Mourer was the Interim Director of the Litigation Skills Program.