Family Law Externships
Douglas County Attorney’s Office
LAW 475
Working with Nicole Goaley (Juvenile Division).
The externs work in the Douglas County Attorney’s office on a variety of civil and criminal matters, including preliminary hearings, trials, and sentencing; securities fraud; consumer protection; police reports; and coroner’s investigations. Externs are supervised by an Assistant County Attorney.
Prerequisite: Completion of at least four full-time semesters of law school (or the equivalent hours).
Douglas County Public Defender’s Office
LAW 472
Student must arrange to work primarily on family law issues and cases.
The student will be involved in representing individuals in criminal and juvenile proceedings. The student will gain experience in criminal practice and procedure, evidence, trial advocacy, constitutional law, juvenile law and procedure. The extern’s responsibilities may involve:
• Researching and drafting motions, briefs, and appeals
• Interviewing witnesses and clients
• Participating in court hearings
Prerequisite: Completion of at least four full-time semesters of law school (or the equivalent hours).
Iowa Legal Services, Council Bluffs, Iowa
LAW 480
Student must arrange to work primarily on family law issues and cases.
Under the supervision of Iowa attorneys, law students represent low-income Iowans in civil legal matters. The students are primarily responsible for interviewing clients, investigating facts of the case, settlement negotiations, drafting pleadings, motions and briefs; and representing clients in court appearances. Representative cases include consumer law, landlord/tenant law; administrative law (including hearings in unemployment compensation, social security disability, Medicare, Medicaid, and other government benefit cases); family law; torts; and a wide variety of other civil legal problems.
Prerequisite: Completion of at least three full-time semesters of law school (or the equivalent hours).
Iowa Public Defender, Council Bluffs, Iowa
LAW 461
Student must arrange to work primarily on family law issues and cases.
This externship provides the student with the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of the practice of law as a State Public Defender. The focus is exclusively on the representation of the indigent in criminal and juvenile court in Council Bluffs. It provides experience in criminal practice and procedure, evidence, trial advocacy, constitutional law, and juvenile law and procedure.
Prerequisite: Completion of at least three full-time semesters of law school (or the equivalent hours), Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, and Evidence. Juvenile Offender Law would be helpful, but is not required.
Juvenile Court Douglas County
LAW 476
The extern will work under the supervision of Judges of the Douglas County Separate Juvenile Court. The extern observes Courtroom activity and researches special projects and issues before the Court.
Juvenile Court Sarpy County
LAW 464
The extern works under the supervision of the Judges of the Sarpy County Juvenile Court, doing research, writing, and other work deemed beneficial to the juvenile court. The student will become familiar with juvenile process by actually working in the area.
Legal Aid of Nebraska
LAW 479
Student must arrange to work primarily on family law issues and cases or with the Native American Project.
Under the supervision of Nebraska attorneys, law students represent low-income persons in civil legal matters. The students are primarily responsible for interviewing clients; investigating the facts of the case; settlement negotiation; drafting pleadings, motions and briefs; and representing clients in court appearances. Representative cases include consumer law; landlord/tenant law; administrative law (including hearings in unemployment compensation, social security disability, Medicare, Medicaid, and other governmental benefit cases); family law; torts; and a wide range of other civil legal problems.
Prerequisite: Preference given to students who have completed at least three full-time semesters of law school (or the equivalent hours).
Nebraska Foster Care Review Board
LAW 513
The extern in this externship can expect to work with agency personnel to track children in out-of-home care, review children’s cases, collect and analyze data related to the children, and make recommendations on conditions and outcomes for Nebraska’s children in out-of-home care, including any needed corrective actions. The agency conducts extensive independent case reviews for children placed out-of-home by the juvenile court system. The externship would include extensive work with the agency’s review specialist as they complete these case reviews. It would also include courtroom work on those cases that the FCRO has chosen to obtain standing on and appear in court. Due to the FCRO close work with the Health and Human Services Committee of the Unicameral, the externship would involve national research in assisting state senators in making appropriate policy decisions affecting the lives of Nebraska children and families.
Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office, Council Bluffs, Iowa
LAW 489
Working with Amy Zacharias (Juvenile Court).
In the Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office externs work mostly on criminal, and occasionally, civil issues. Externs handle hearings, trials and sentencings mainly on misdemeanor cases, and do research and briefs on all cases, including major felonies. Externs occasionally are permitted to do jury trials on misdemeanor cases. Externs are supervised by the county attorney and assistant county attorneys.
Prerequisite: Completion of at least three full-time semesters of law school.
Additional Externships, Depending on the Interest of an Individual Student:*
American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska
LAW 510
Student must arrange to work primarily on family law issues and cases.
Under the supervision of the ACLU Nebraska attorney, legal externs assist Nebraskans with civil liberties violations in civil and criminal matters. The externs are primarily responsible for interviewing clients, investigating facts of the case, drafting pleadings, motions and briefs; and conducting legal research to support the litigation efforts. Representative cases include civil rights cases, family law; criminal cases; and a wide variety of other civil legal problems.
Justice for Our Neighbors
LAW 416
Student must arrange to work on family law issues and cases.
Justice for Our Neighbors is an outreach ministry of the United Methodist Committee on Relief. It provides high-quality, accessible, free, immigration legal services to non-citizens. Externs will work with clients of varying ethnicities and economic backgrounds in need of immigration services. They will complete client intakes, do research, complete immigration forms, compose letters for filings, attend court with the attorney, draft briefs and motions, and complete other types of case-related legal work. Externs will work primarily on removal defense cases, asylum applications, waiver applications and/or applications for immigration protection under the Violence against Women Act.
Prerequisite: Preference will be given to students who have taken Immigration Law and who speak Spanish.
Sarpy County Court
LAW 464
Student must arrange to work primarily on family law issues and cases.
Externs work as law clerks for the Judges of the Sarpy County Court. They observe courtroom activity and do research on special projects and issues before the court. They visit the Sarpy County District Court and Juvenile Court as well as administrative agencies within the Sarpy County Court System.
*The student should have the supervising attorney at the externship site certify to the certificate advisor that the student has worked on family law matters.
